Thick as Thieves
by Dixxy Mouri
Summary: Dario, Karsh, and Glenn are stranded on Zenan as children, and Norris is declared a traitor for helping them. Now a far cry from the soldiers they could have grown up to be, it's an all or nothing struggle to survive. Will feature more canon characters.
1. Prologue

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Prologue

****

Author's Notes: Before you begin to read this story, I would suggest reading another story I wrote entitled _Memories_. The part of the prologue in _italics_ is a slightly edited excerpt from the story to show where the events changed as this is something of an alternate ending (slight editing is only extra description and emotion, really). As another note, **this is a** **revision of the story _Thieves_, which has been** **discontinued**. **_Thieves_ story is being re-written and revised as this story, _Thick as Thieves_. **

~

_Daylight began to break over the Zenan Mainland, waking many of its people, whether they were in Porre or Guardia. Some had been long awake, baking breads and preparing morning deliveries that would fulfill their livelihoods while others were just up to witness the big orange ball climb high into the sky. All in all, it looked like what should have been the start of a beautiful day._

The four young boys were nearly on the outskirts of Porre. Norris was in the lead, the figures all hidden under cloaks to hide their identities as they made their escape. Dario kept close to his brother, almost constantly reminding the younger boy that they were almost home free. Karsh was running on Glenn's other side in an attempt to make the boy feel safer.

"There!" Norris announced, pointing ahead of them. The group stopped, seeing the edge of the forest surrounding one part of the city just ahead of them. He laughed brightly. "You guys are almost home free!" He turned to Glenn and knelt down to look the younger boy in the face, placing a hand on his shoulder in the process. "Don't worry, you'll be home soon. You'll be back with your dear old dad and out of this hell hole."

The smallest member of the party looked up at the Porre resident with interest. He tugged on his cloak, trying to her his attention. Norris looked at the five year old and squatted down to see what he wanted. "What about you, Norris? Aren't you coming, too?" asked Glenn. Wide, bright blue eyes looked at him in curiosity and an almost pleading sort of hope. "It's dangerous here- those Porre men are mean. What if you become mean if you stay here?"

Norris shook his head, lowering his eyes. "I'm sorry, Glenn, I'm not going with you guys to El Nido," he said. The small child looked at Norris in surprise, wondering why he wouldn't want to get out of the gray, dull streets of Porre to see the bright, almost tropical market that was Termina. "My place is here in Porre. My mother would be upset if I left."

"But that man Curtis is here!" said Glenn, looking concerned. "He's bad!" He pointed at his cheek, where the still very red wound was still healing. Scarring, yes, but it was healing, none the less. "What if he tries to hurt you, too? I don't want him to hurt you, Norris. You'll be safer in El Nido! My Daddy and Radius and Zappy and General Viper and the Dragoons will protect you!"

Dario gulped nervously, grabbing at the collar of his tunic and loosening it. This is gonna go over REAL well- Glenn might be scared of Norris now,_ he thought to himself. "Uh, Glenn? Little brother? I, uh, don't know how to tell you this but, ah, you see, Curtis is-"_

The Porre youth slowly turned his gaze towards Dario, his face with an innocent and almost naïve look to it. He blinked slowly, turning his head slightly. "But what, Dario? I don't know any Curtis aside from that man that hurt your little brother- I haven't the slightest clue as to what you're alluding to," said Norris coolly.

Karsh gave Dario a knowing look. Dario shut his mouth, catching the drift. Glenn would be happier not knowing who Norris was in relation to his kidnapper. They weren't sure how the boy would handle such information, and they didn't want to risk a negative reaction- he had been given enough shocks to last a lifetime. 

With that done, the boys began to run for the exit. Once they were out of Porre, they were much, much safer. This city would do them no good- it had done Glenn no good and Norris knew that something worse would happen to Karsh and Dario is they were captured. Perhaps the three of them would die. Even I might die.

_Just as they reached the city limit, they heard the clicking sound of a cocked gun. All four boys jolted to a stop, nearly crashing into each other. Norris turned his head to see it was none other than his father pointing a gun at the boys. "I don't know who three of you are, but I know that little Glenn is with you. Why don't you just give the brat to me and then be on your way?"_

Norris gritted his teeth. What was he going to do now?! He knew very well that giving Dario, Glenn, and Karsh over to Curtis would only result in harm to them. Curtis had already given the five year old an injury that was sure to leave a scar, and he didn't want to think about what else he might possibly want to do to them. _They've been through enough!_ he decided. _I can't-_

"Never!" Dario said, defiantly throwing his hood down. Curtis stared at the blonde with a skeptical look in his eyes, surprised that he'd done something so bold. "I'm not going to let you hurt my little brother again you bastard! How the hell can you be so insensitive?! He's only five years old! Who the hell gave you the right to hurt innocent children?!"

"Dario, you IDIOT!" Karsh snapped. He was obviously upset with Dario for making what could have been a critical mistake- NOW Curtis knew that only did he have Glenn, but he also had Garai's other son in his potential clutches. Dario gulped, seeming to see the error in his decision. Glenn stood in confusion, unsure of what to do with himself.

But before any more retorts could be put into play, Curtis made a grab for the collar of Dario's cloak. Almost effortlessly he pulled the older brother off the ground with one hand, the youth clutching the cloth and kicking his feet in a futile attempt to break free. Glenn cried out, trying fruitlessly to get Curtis to drop him by pulling at the man's arm and kicking his legs. Curtis ignored the attempts of the five year old and turned his full attention to Dario. "So. . . you're the older son of Garai, aren't you?" he said. The commander's face cracked into a grin as he chuckled softly. "Well, I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to have BOTH of the great Garai's children under my control- it would be rather nice to watch you both squirm."

Dario didn't removed his hands from his shirt collar and continued to try to break free. His eyes met the commander's, and he froze for a second. Curtis seemed crazed and perhaps ever a little. . . psychotic, though he supposed anyone who would harm a child must be at least somewhat mentally ill. "Keep. . . your. . . hands. . . off. . . my. . . baby. . . brother!!!" Using his free hand, Curtis slapped his clear across the face. The elder brother clamped his teeth down to keep from crying out, but the pained look on his face seemed to be more than enough to satisfy Curtis. Glenn screamed at Curtis, yelling at him to stop. This only resulted in the commander placing the younger boy in the same position as his elder brother. 

Norris watched all this in horror- was THIS the kind of man his father was? THIS was the man who fathered him and supported him and his mother? THIS was the man whose footsteps he was expected to follow? This MONSTER of a man- if you could call him a man at all- was supposed to be the most important figure in his whole LIFE?! _Father, why!?_ Norris mentally demanded. _Why are you doing this to my friends?! This isn't right!_

Before he could continue his thoughts any more, he felt someone jerk him backwards slightly. His eyes met the deep, red eyes of Karsh, who seemed rather serious and determined about something. He pulled Norris' face close and began to whisper. "Git yerself out of 'ere while ye still kin- ye 'ave dun more than enough fer us. We'll keep 'im busy so ye can git home. Go!"

Norris was about to protest, but the words died in the back of his throat as Karsh pushed him aside, threw down his hood and introduced himself as the son of Zappa. Curtis roughly tossed the brothers aside (and for that matter out for the count) as he turned to the purple haired youth in interest, his eyes wide in a look that thoroughly terrified Norris. Karsh slowly began to back away, though he never once took his eyes off the slowly advancing Porre commander.

The Porre youth couldn't believe his eyes. Karsh knew that if Curtis captured himself and the brothers, they would face certain death if not something worse- Porre most certainly had torture chambers in some of their facilities. Yet he stared him down as if he was just some bully on a street corner, not flinching in the slightest at the actions. Norris couldn't help but respect him for that. 

_He's doing this so I can escape. . ._

. . . but why?

This was something Norris was having a lot of trouble comprehending. He was the son of the man who had all but ruined Glenn's childhood, if not his whole life. It would probably takes YEARS for him to get over horrible strings of nightmares, and he wondered how the other children in El Nido would treat him now that he had such a mark on the most noticeable of his features. If anything they should have beaten him to a bloody pulp to take revenge on his father- to give Curtis the same feelings of despair at his child's harm that Garai would feel once he saw Glenn, assuming he ever saw his youngest again. Yet despite this, Karsh was trying his damnedest to get him out of there unscathed. 

Karsh quickly turned his gaze to where Norris was standing, an almost exasperated and annoyed look in his eyes. "Fer the love of yer mother," he said under his breath. He then took in a deep breath and began to scream as loud as his lungs would let him. "GIT THE HELL OUT OF HERE! DINNAE WORRY ABOUT US! SAVE YERSELF- IS TOO LATE FER US! RUN! GIT OUT OF HERE BEFORE IS TOO LATE! GO! NOW! NOW! NOW!!!"

Norris was so startled by the sudden screaming of his friend that he couldn't help but turn on his heels and do just that, his father yelling after him to come back and rot with his other El Nido friends. He only turned back briefly, getting another scream from Karsh and a new scream from Dario, who was now injured to boot. Tears streamed from his eyes in tiny rivulets over his cheeks as he realized what he was doing- abandoning them. He was leaving them alone at his father's mercy. He knew that if they were left to his pleasure then they would NEVER see El Nido again. . . and may not even live long enough to see the following day. 

_. . . I. . ._

. . .I. . . I. . .

. . . I. . . I can't. . .

. . . I can't. . .

. . .

I CAN'T LEAVE THEM!!!

The Cogs of Fate had shifted.

~

After looking back on _Thieves_, I decided that it needed some work. Some of the changes would effect so much of the plot that I would need to start from the beginning and do a complete re-write. Please continue to review as there will be changes throughout the story. The new story is entitled _Thick as Thieves_, but it is, in essence, _Thieves._

Can we see the plot changes already? Can we, can we, can we?!?! Curtis doesn't know that Norris was helping the brothers and Karsh yet! But is he going to find out later? Hmm? Will he?

No, I don't know why I'm acting like a three-year-old on a sugar high. . .

Aside from this story, you guys will also see be seeing updates of mine from _The Porre Affair_. At this point in time all of SB2's chapters are now posted- chapter twelve is currently in the works. As a side note on that subject, I'm now working in cooperation with Alba Aulbath on the project. We're doing an alternation of chapters type thing where we take turns writing the chapters, but the other person gets to review the chapter before it gets posted and we agree on what each chapter will be about. So she's working on it, too. We already have some minor ideas as to different character appearances and some-ideas on what to do about some of the cliffhangers that were left behind. 

I'm also putting out a Ronin Warrior/Chrono Cross cross-over sometime soon. It'll be in this section of FF.Net. It probably won't be out for a while, but you never know. 

The following comments are from the last chapter I posted to the old _Thieves_ and the announcement_._ To see more chapters of this story, I want at least **eight** reviews a chapter, though **nine or ten** would be really, really cool. So unless I get those eight reviews, I won't update and add new chapters. Normally I don't do this unless I really don't think anyone's reading something at all, but since this is a revision of something I've done, **I really want to know how you guys feel about the changes that are implemented**. Some chapters won't have a lot of changes at all, but some will. Because of this, I'm only doing the eight review ransom until I get to the point where I was in the other story. **And I like using bold text to emphasize stuff in the author's notes **^_^**.**

Rikku-oh-ki: Um, okay.

IluvRikku12: Ooo. . . eh, 50 cents a minutes sounds about right for the travel industry. But the fact that you are now paying money to read my stories makes me feel special ^_^.

Tami: I was bored, what can I say? Well, I own more Nintendo games- I have five PS games (two of which are the same game- CT and FFIV) and about eight or nine N64 games. Ah, Lunar 2- what a bitch. As opposed to its prequel, it is much longer and MUCH more difficult. One of the challenge factors is definitely Lucia, because you CAN'T control her- sometimes you can try to "trick" the AI in the game, but it doesn't always work- Lucia will do what Lucia wants to do and that's that. Another problem I've run into is money- by the time I reach Zulan I always run into a money problem of some sort. And then the "last" dungeon leaves you in a tough spot because you can't backtrack to a city to restock on supplies, especially things like Star Lights. Where are you in the game? I'll give you some advice, if you'd like. BTW- there are actually TWO endings- the actual ending, which occurs when you beat Zophar and then the epilogue, which ties up all the loose threads. And I DO mean ALL loose threads- even the townspeople have loose ends tied up. 

Yukari: I cut the merchant thing.

Uftaki: Of course I'm not going easy on them! There'd be no plot if I went easy on them! MWAHAHAHA! Merchants have been screwed. They're too complicated. 

Lena: We probably hit the majority of your comments over the course of a few e-mails. 

Now here are the comment answers:

Uftaki: Yup, and these probably aren't all of them. I've recently picked up _Take a Thief_ by Mercedes Lackey, which Lena has been recommending to me for a while now. She wasn't kidding when she said it would be a good resource- what we have here is an example of some very intelligent, clever, and damn successful thieves. The point of that being that I now have a better idea as to how to go about scenes where the group is actually taking things. I'm thinking Glenn WON'T stay away, but it COULD happen- in fact, it almost DID happen in the original. Heh, I worked really hard on just the prologue alone.

Yukari: I'm back, don't worry!

Until next time!

~Dixxy


	2. Chapter One

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter One

"Dario. . . I don't like it here," Glenn said quietly. He had been clinging to his brother for support, comfort, and security. Dario was holding his baby brother in his lap, his arms wrapped protectively around the five-year-old. He didn't like their current situation either, but none of them had any real say in what happened to them now. Now their fates rested in the hands of Curtis, and chances were their fates wouldn't be very bright if that man had anything to do with it. 

The commander had ordered his soldiers to place the three boys in a much more secure holding cell than the one that Glenn had originally been in. The room was small, dark, and cold, having walls, floor, and ceiling alike all made from the same gray stone. The only thing that wasn't stone was the heavy steel door that was the only exit. Very little light shone through the small window on the door, just enough to create eerie shadows in the middle of the floor as soldiers walked by.

Karsh was sitting against the opposite wall as the brothers, his elbows and hands on his knees with his chin propped on his forearms. He hadn't said much after they'd been tossed (literally) into their holding cell, mostly keeping to himself. Normally, Karsh was most talkative when he was in trouble, complaining about how he'd been caught or trying to defend himself. His silence was deafening.

"Is Daddy going to come and rescue us?" Glenn asked. Dario looked down at the youngest of the three and frowned. Glenn's wide blue eyes were almost unreadable, yet perfectly clear, at the same time. For one, his brother was generally concerned about the fate of himself, his brother, and Karsh. For another, Dario could see Glenn was caught between hope and doubt as to whether or not he was expecting a rescue (which was probably why he had asked his older brother in the first place). But what stood out most to Dario was something that wasn't even physically there. 

In his mind, Dario could see frayed edges in his little brother's eyes. Frayed edges that had once been attached to a sweet, innocent naiveté that Glenn had always had from being so young and so protected. His mother, his father, and even he had done so much to try and protect the smallest and youngest of the family from the horrors of the world. Yet Curtis had snatched him out of his bubble of protection and ripped nearly all of that sweet childhood innocence from his little brother.

"Dario?" Glenn voiced once again. Dario mentally kicked himself- he'd gone so far into thought that he'd forgotten where his train of thought had begun- Glenn had asked him a question in regards to whether or not their father would come to rescue. Truth be told, Dario didn't have a very good answer. 

"I really don't know, Shorty," Dario whispered back, pulling his brother closer. Glenn seemed to relax slightly by the motion, but was still very tense and frightened. "By now they must know we're missing, but there's no telling how long it would take them to find us. The only thing we can do right now is hope for the best."

"Hope fer what, Dario?" 

The brothers averted their gaze to their purple haired friend. The blacksmith's sons eyes were considerably more serious than they normally were, his lips void of his usual mischievous grin. Karsh did not look like his normal self, and that scared the other two in the cell.

"What are you talking about, Karsh?" Dario asked.

"No one has a damned clue as to where we are! Oh, sure, they might suspect Porre, but in just in case ye didnae notice, Porre is no small town- this city's bigger than Termina five times over! Even if they did decide to look fer us, which aye dinnae think they will, then they wouldnae have a very good chance at findin' us," Karsh said bitterly.

"Why wouldn't they look for us?" said Glenn.

"Because we're dealing with a whole war," Karsh said almost void of emotion. "There's a la more at stake here than our lives. Viper kinna send out a search party every time a soldier goes missing- people go missing and die in war all the time. Is a fact a life. Just accept it- if we ever want ta go home, we're going to have to git ourselves there because no one's going to come to our rescue."

"He's got a point," said Dario. "As much as I don't want to say this, we aren't the most important thing on his mind right now. The General needs to keep his mind on the war and use his Dragoons to combat the Porres. If he sends someone out after us and looses a ton of men in the process, then the odds for Guardia and El Nido winning go down by a lot."

"So you're just giving up?" Glenn said. Neither of the older boys had anything to say. "Well. . . then we're just going to have to get ourselves out like Karsh said." He slid himself out of his brother's lap and began to walk towards the steel door. Calmly, Glenn sat down and looked up at the door, apparently studying it.

Dario was dumbfounded. He'd never seen his little brother acting so determined before. He closed his eyes and quietly shook his head. _You've only never seen this because Glenn's never been presented this kind of a situation before- he's hurt, he's a prisoner in a foreign land, and he just wants to go home and see our father,_ he thought to himself. Slowly, Dario got to his feet and joined his brother next to the door. Glenn gave his brother an acknowledging smile, then turned his attention back to the door. 

After a minute, Dario heard the sounds of movement and turned his head to see Karsh going over to the door with them. Glenn gave another wide smile of approval, this time provoking a smile from the other boy. Dario gave a silent look of thanks to his best friend- even if their efforts failed, this was better than dying without putting up a fight.

Several minutes passed, and the boys had nothing to help them. Anything that the Porres felt counted as a weapon was taken from the boys, the only thing they had being the Memento Pendant, the very one that had belonged to Dario and Glenn's mother, and they only had it due to some clever maneuvers from Dario. Karsh desperately put his hand up against the cold steel, wincing away as he clenched his eyes shut. Glenn whimpered, not liking that they weren't getting anywhere.

A knocking on the door sounded.

Dario looked up. "Hello?"

Silence.

"'the hell was tha fer?" Karsh asked.

The faint sound of laughter followed, causing slight confusion to the three prisoners. "I'd step away from the door if I were you- sometimes they swing open pretty fast and I REALLY don't want to be peeling anyone off the walls of that cell- it would be really, really messy."

"Norris?!" Karsh asked, pressing his hands against the door again, calling out loudly to make sure his friend could hear him. Dario and Glenn had also straightened their postures, seeing that their freedom might have been a lot closer than they'd originally thought. "Is tha you?"

"In the flesh- give me a second here, okay?"  
"What. . . what are you doing here?" Dario asked, completely bewildered by what Norris had done. Then, he slowly smiled. _I don't believe it- he actually came back for us. At risk of his own life and possibly being disowned by his father he came back to rescue us. I don't know what to say!_

"I'm baking cookies, Dario, what do you THINK I'm doing?" Norris responded with a playful bit of sarcasm. Since his voice had to carry through a steel door the sound was faint, but it was still clear enough to be heard. "It took a bit of sneaking and a few close calls too many for my liking, but I was able to get back in here without being seen. I couldn't just leave you guys to be at HIS mercy."

"It sounds like you really don't like Curtis, do you, Norris?" Glenn said.

"Well. . . you could say that," he said. "Let's leave it as I have my reasons."

Glenn, however, didn't seem satisfied with this answer. He slowly crept closer to the door and gently paced his palm against the cold metal, a curious and worried look in his young eyes. He pressed his forehead against it, somehow seeming to think that this action would make his voice clear to the older boy. "Are you hiding something, Norris?"  
"Now what makes you say that?" Norris asked.

"You sound kinda guilty about something, that's all," he said.

Norris sighed heavily. "Maybe I'll tell you later." From there, his voice took on a lighter, much cheerier tone that was accompanied by a slightly laugh. "For now, I'll get the door open and get you guys out of here so we can all go to Guardia and get ourselves to El Nido, okay?" he said. 

"Yay! Norris is gonna save us!" Glenn cheered.

"Shh! They might here you and we'll get caught," Dario said. Glenn nodded, pressing his lips together as he looked eagerly at the door. "Is there anything we can do from this side of the door, Norris? I know it's a prison cell and we aren't supposed to have a way to help someone on the other side but if there's anything we-"

"Nope. I almost got it," he said. As if on cue, the door opened with a slight popping sound, revealing Norris on the other side with a grin. "C'mon- we're getting out of here right now." The three prisoners quickly got to their feet and proceeded to follow Norris down the hallway.

~

"So, how'd ye find us?" Karsh asked.

"It wasn't that hard, actually," Norris said thoughtfully. The group had left the Porre complex and was now hiding in the shadows off a Porre alleyway. Everything said was in hushed whispers, as no one wanted to be caught. The escaped prisoners would be thrown back into their prison, and Norris would be in trouble for crimes as high as treason. "Gossip travels fast, so it was just a matter of finding a good eavesdropping place and a following what I got."

"That's not too bad," Dario said, a look in his eyes clearly showing his was impressed. "But now what? Should we wait until night fall before we make our getaway or what?" For this, all eyes went to Norris for the explanation. Out of the four of them, he knew Porre much better and would probably have the better idea.

"Well. . . we should probably try to get out of here as soon as possible," said Norris. "They might know you've escaped by now, so we need to be weary of a search team. They'll drag you guys right back to that place, but I won't guarantee they'll have a need to put you in such a strong holding cell."

"Why?" asked Glenn.

"Aye think we won't be ABLE to escape," said Karsh.

"Why not? We did the last time."

Dario cleared his throat. "Because we'll probably be DEAD."

Glenn grew quiet and nodded. He didn't want to die yet! There was so much else he wanted to do with his life! So many trees he hadn't climbed! So many foods he hadn't tried! So many toys he hadn't played with! If he died he'd never be able to do any of that stuff! He clung closer to his brother and clutched the sleeve.

"We should try jump a merchant ship- the merchants could care less about who's at war with who as long as they can still do business," said Norris. He closed his eyes and began to think. "If I'm right we should be just a few blocks away from the docks. Then we just need to jump a ship and see where it takes us."

The other three nodded- like they had much choice in the matter? Norris made a signal for them to follow, and they proceeded further into the alleyway. "I take it this is some sort of a back route for getting to the docks?" Dario asked. Norris nodded and the other three accepted his reasoning.

The back and side streets Norris chose were all wise decisions. They weren't extraordinary streets- on the contrary, they were actually very plain with whitewashed houses and a few wooden crates sitting unattended in some of the alleys. Few people walked the streets, and those who did gave none of the boys a second glance- not even Glenn, whose face wound should have attracted someone's attention. But the Porre native seemed to know what he was doing and wasn't leading them into danger.

But eventually the long stretch of empty streets led them to a bustling ocean side marketplace. Merchants dressed in vibrant colors and clothing were selling foods, textiles, jewelry, elements, and other fabulous treasures. Thousands of people were in the market, buying, selling, and trading all of these goods for other products and gold pieces. Others engaged themselves in conversations with each other and the merchants, asking about the events in other countries and reporting gossip to them in return.

"That ship does a round that involves El Nido," Norris said, pointing to a ship with a pole lined with small, colored flags. "All of the merchant ships have one of those poles, and the countries they trade with each have a color they corrospond with. I know Porre is red and Guardia is green. Choras is yellow, Medina is blue, and El Nido is orange. That she has an orange and a green flag on it- either of those destinations should work."

"Norris? Do ye spend all of yer time snoopin' around Porre?" Karsh asked.

"Hey, I gotta do something to keep myself busy," said Norris. He began to walk into the crowd. "If we play our cards right we can get onto a ship without being noticed- then when they dock in the country of our choice, we're home free!" Dario and the other two nodded enthusiastically as they followed their guide.

Not three minutes into the walk did they see a sight they didn't like.

"Oh no! It's the mean Curtis man!" Glenn said, trying to hide behind Dario.

Norris looked up and bit his bottom lip when he saw his father. He looked around, trying to find a quick exit, but he saw none. People were on all sides of them, oblivious to the danger they had just put the four boys in. They were sitting ducks, and his father was only inching closer and closer to them. Whether or not he'd seen them he wasn't sure, but at the rate and direction he was moving, only a blind man would miss them. "Crap. This is not good."

"Norris. . . it's too crowded here! We can't get away!" said Dario.

"We're dead. . . we're SOOO dead. . ." Karsh said.

"HEY!"

"He saw us!" Glenn cried out. "Nooo!!"

By now the people around them were getting confused. A Porre commander had just screamed something and was moving quickly in their direction. Dario put his arms around his little brother. In time he'd be on them and then they'd all be doomed- Norris could be charged with treason and the Dragon Gods knew what would happen with the other three.

Norris, however, had another idea. "Get ready to make a break for that ship- and whatever you do, make sure you get in the hold of that ship!" he said. Norris pulled something out of his belt loop and raised his hand high into the air. A resounding bang followed, causing several people to scream and run around in panicked disarray. Baskets and goods were strewn about on the ground and in the air. Someone ran into the fence of a chicken pen and now several of the birds were flapping about and adding to the confusion. People were screaming and shouting at each other in attempts to find out what had happened.

Dario, Karsh, and Glenn wasted no time in running towards the ship. Norris, however, hung back and watched his father try to restore order to the now chaotic market. At once point, his father looked up and saw his son. Norris gave his father a cold glare, the small pop gun still in his hand.

"Good-bye. . . Curtis," he said. With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

~

You know, as much fun as it would have been for them to pull a MacGyver with random things they found in their pockets (Karsh: Aye can make a bomb from this piece of lint!), I decided against it. Besides, can the Porres really be that incompetent? If they can take over Guardia AND occupy Termina, they must be doing something right, ya know? 

As I said in the original draft, you must not know my style by now if you honestly think they're going to Termina. 

Okay, okay, so this took forever to get out. I KNOW! This chapter was a complete **_BITCH _**to write. I apologize. Hopefully the next chapter will be better (time wise). BUT IT'S DONE! YAY!

If anyone's interested I posted a cross-over fic. Though most of you probably know about it by now.

****

Please keep in mind that the eight-review ransom will be in place throughout the ENTIRE fic. Normally I don't do this but **_I want feedback_**.  
  
Alba: I'm glad you like the idea of me re-doing Thieves as Thick as Thieves. It's going to be a long project, no doubt, and will require a bit of work. Don't be surprised if this thing drags on for a very long time- I am prone to writer's block and this little thing called "life". And don't feel bad about not reviewing- and I certainly hope your muse comes back.  
  
Uftaki: So it is ^_~.  
  
Witten's Hand: Well, I'm glad to see you like it. Yeah, the merchant thing was just. . . bad.   
  
Iluvrikku12: Yeah, can you imagine Cye's reaction to Irenes? O_O I'm going to have fun with that one, and I'll probably be drawing some of my RW readers in as well. "Oh, so THIS is why Dixxy hasn't updated the Age of Legends series in forever". For now I'm only in the basic stages, but I AM assigning the Ronins innate colors and, possibly, element grids. I don't know how familiar you are with the series, but here's the line-up right now for innate colors:  
  
Ryo: Red  
Sage: Yellow or White (could go either way)  
Cye: Blue  
Kento: Yellow  
Rowen: Green

For grids, Cye and Sage will have the larger grids with better magic, Kento will have a smaller grid with not so great magic, and Ryo and Rowen with have average grids and average magic. Their level 7 tech skills will be their sure kills, and I'm not sure on all the level 3 and 5 skills yet. Warlords and other characters are still pending. Technically, _Possessed_ is started already, but I won't be posting it for a while. I want to get this story more established so I can "leave it alone" for a little while. The prologue is basically finished, but chapter one is turning out to be a hard chapter to write. Heck, the prologue was a pain, too, though I don't know WHY. It's a darn SIMPLE part!  
  
Lena: Yes, yes, yes. -_-* is what I have to say to o_Ox- that was just BAD. Funny, but BAD.  
  
Tami: You didn't have to go so far as to erase the file, though I suppose that would help. Typically, going through dungeons multiple times tends to help, especially when you FIRST get Lucia. The mini-strategy guide that comes with the game calls her "your invincible new friend" with good reason! When she says "Do not interfere" you do NOT interfere! You don't get a chance to- Lucia will kill you. Actually, I've been listening to my Lunar soundtracks quite a bit recently- Jean's Theme, Eternal Blue (vocal) and Lucia's Theme are my favorites, though I also like Ronfar, Lemia, and Mystere's Themes. And thank you for your comments on the story.  
  
Harle is the Best: Thanks.  
  
Miso14: Miso! You're back! I missed you! And you're reviewer number 8! Now everyone has to be really nice to you. Yes, you did miss a lot. Oh? The Mouri thing is fairly old, though it's new to my pen name. There's a website called "Bishounen Realm" that allows you to "marry" the bishounen (or bishoujo) of your choice- I am "married" to Cye Mouri of Ronin Warriors. The whole system is similar to an adoption service, only each adoptee can only be adopted once and you can only adopt one- if it were anything else you'd have a bigamist system, a lot like what Sonja and Genie want Glenn to do in the summons story ^_______^. I got a certificate and everything on my website. Well, a lot is going to be changing from the old draft to this one, but it couldn't hurt. A whole subplot (the merchant thing, as it has been named) is cut out. Well, the next part of the battle is WRITING the next part. And it's okay, life happens.  


Angelus: Yeah. . . it's mostly the beginning that's going to have noticeable changes. It's when they're all adults that it won't matter- my mind changes quite frequently on what I'm going to do there. 

Ran Cossak: It had to be done- what can I say? Yeah. . . you'd think he'd pick up at least a LITTLE bit of an accent! Heh, now if I could write the rest of the damned story we'd be all set. My brain has been fried for a while now and I'm not up to my usual standard as far as churning out fics go. This is either a really, really bad thing (i.e. fics get updated once every few months instead of once every few days) or a really, really good thing (i.e. fics are BETTER). 

~Dixxy


	3. Chapter Two

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Two

"Ye know. . . the stars are really pretty tonight," Karsh commented. Dario nodded, gazing out the porthole of the storage room the four stowaways had hidden themselves in. Norris was sitting on a tall pile of crates near the window, his knees curled up to his chest and one hand bracing himself upright. Glenn was asleep with his head on his brother's chest and one hand clutching the shirt.

"Fascinating how something so simple that we see on a normal basis can still be so fascinating," Norris commented. He sighed. "I wonder what's out there. What those stars are. Who's to say they aren't other worlds or fabulous places that we can't possibly get to yet. Maybe they're the suns and moons of other worlds giving light to some kid in another world. And maybe that kid is wondering the same thing I am right now."

Karsh scrunched his nose up. "Could be- ye never know."

"I've heard that some scientists have concluded some of those things are entire planets," said Dario. He looked down at Glenn and ran his fingers through some of the soft blonde hair. He looked back out the porthole and sighed dreamily. "Like some of the White and Black elements- a lot of White elements are based on space and meteors. But yeah, I think there might be stuff out there. I don't really care too much about it, but it's interesting to think about sometimes."

"Yeah," said Norris. "I wonder what those worlds are like."

"Does it matter?" said Karsh. 

"Nah, I guess not," said Norris. He rested his head on his knees. "Still. . ."

"You have to realize we have bigger problems now," said Dario. "I think that Curtis is pissed off at ALL of us now, and we need to be aware of that. He knows damn well we're probably on one of the ships from the port and he'll be damned if he doesn't have every last one searched."

"Yeah, but there's one problem with is plan," Karsh said. "We're on the sea!"

Norris smiled. "Yeah, I guess your right- that's the least of our problems."

"Our next two problems pertain where we get off and whether or not we tell Glenn," said Dario. The elder brother turned to the Porre. "Well? Are you going to tell him the truth about who you are, or do you want to keep it a secret a little longer? I can see where you wouldn't want to tell him, but what if he gets mad?"

"I'll take him aside sometime," said Norris. He jumped down from the crates and walked over to the brothers. He knelt down to look at the sleeping child. "I've thought about it a little. My dad DID deceive him, and I don't want him to think I'm doing the same thing, because I'm not."

"Yeah. . . Norris is too nice fer tha," said Karsh.

"Then that leaves the port problem," said Dario. "What do we know about the other ports? Truce or El Nido is ideal, but we have to be prepared to land in Choras, Medina, Porre, or another smaller country. What's your view on that? Do you know anything about those countries?"

"Choras and Medina are both places we DON'T want to end up," said Norris. 

"Why?" asked Karsh.

"For one, both of them are currently under Porre rule to at least an extent. The Mystics still TECHNICALLY hold power, it's the very greedy and awful ones who hold powerful positions. They've enacted a human enslaving law, and Porre lets them do it as long as they don't take humans directly from Porre," he said. 

"And Choras?" asked Dario.

"There are basically three groups- the filthy stinking rich, the dirt poor, and the lowest of the low scum. Prostitutes, thieves, gangs, drugs, anything your parents told you to stay away from and Choras probably has it," said Norris. "The rich are obviously the ruling power- there's several lords and ladies who hold power, but their so-called 'territories' overlap and some people get double or triple whacked with taxes and conflicting laws. The anarchy is so bad there they can't even legalize birth, wedding, or death certificates."

"So we're REALLY hoping we don't end up in either of those places, right?" said Dario.

"Right," said Norris. "Basically we're-"

"Shh- someone's comin'," Karsh said. The boys shrunk into the shadows, Dario putting his hand over his brother's mouth as he pulled the oblivious boy further into the corner of the storage room. The boys remained quiet, hoping that whoever it was that was coming would simply decide to leave the room alone.

Much to their dismay, the room was illuminated, and the sailor saw them.

"We're SOOO dead," Karsh said.

~

The boys had been brought to the captain's quarters, which appeared to be more of an office rather than a room on a boat. Well, the entire back wall had been replaced by a huge window that show the mighty sea before them, but aside from that it didn't seem like something on a boat. Tapestries from all over the world hung on the walls, vases and jeweled armors accenting the mood. A large globe of the world on a tall stand stood in one corner, surrounded by curled up maps and navigational devices that all ships needed. Another corner had a cat bed, where a large, fat tabby slept, lying on its back with its paws stretched out over its head and to the tip of its tail, which twitched every so often as the animal occasionally moved, perhaps having some sort of a dream. Behind the cat was a tall wardrobe that had been decorated with a carving of some sea legend involving a giant sea serpent and a ship of what looked like pirates. A huge, oak desk sat towards the window, and behind the desk sat the captain.

Long since their discovery, Glenn had awoken. He hadn't know why his brother and his friends were panicking for several minutes- he was still very sleepy and wouldn't have known up from down. Once he was fully awake, though, he fully understood the seriousness of their situation. They had been caught and now the captain was going to punish them. Still very timid and frightened with everything that had happened to him, he clung ever closer to his brother.

Karsh sent a look the brothers' way. _Poor Glenn- he's be clinging to Dario like he'll never see him again ever since we got him out of that blasted torture chamber. How could a man do this to someone so tiny and naïve? _He inwardly sighed. No point in continuing to put the blame on Curtis. That wasn't their most pressing problem- the captain of the ship was. 

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Four stowaways?" the captain said. The man was rather short and stout with a round, red face that would almost appear childish if it weren't for the thick grey beard that surrounded his face like a fuzzy halo. Old, time weary eyes looked at them with a hint of dark intentions that the boys weren't sure that they could trust. Out of the corner of his mouth a large pipe hung, the smell of a fine tobacco filling the room as the captain puffed away. He took the said pipe out, blew smoke in Karsh's face (which caused the purple haired youth to cough uncontrollably) and laughed. "So, what do you little brats think you're doing on my boat?"

Dario cleared his throat. Maybe he could bargain with the man? "Captain, sir, I apologize for our intrusion, but it's imperative that we get to Truce or El Nido- our lives are in danger and those places are the only safe havens we know of," he said. Dario tried to think quickly. What could he bargain? An idea struck him and his face lit up. "If you'd like, we will offer ourselves to you as cabin boys to pay for our passage."

The captain scratched his hairy beard, seeming to think this over. He raised a hand, curling one finger at two of his sailors. They huddled together, whispered to each other, and then broke apart. The sailors stood at the captain's sides, acting more like bodyguards. "We've decided you four may work as cabin boys and we'll let you off at our destination without penalty."

Karsh, Dario, and Norris all cheered, high-fiving each other in joy. Glenn walked up to the desk, standing on his toes to look over. As his brother and his friends cheered, the smallest boy raised his hand. "Um, Mr. Captain sir? Can I ask you a question?" he asked innocently. 

The captain nodded, giving him a large grin and snapping his fingers. "Of course, child- ask anything of me that your heart desires," he said in a sort of mocking kindness. Glenn's eyes widened, not liking the look the captain was giving him. In a way, it seemed almost reminiscent of Curtis, which, naturally, shook the young child endlessly. If the look reminded him of Curtis, and if Curtis was a bad man, then did that mean the captain was a bad man as well? On their cue, the sailors began to escort the boys, Glenn included, out of the room.

"Good bye, children!" the captain said, waving.

"Wait! Mr. Captain Man! Where are we going?!"

~

"You know, I think Glenn had a point," Norris said as he peeled off his shirt. He tossed the sweat and salt-water soaked garment on the floor, then lied back on the sheets of the bunk bed he'd claimed as his own. After they'd been escorted out of the captain's quarters, the boys had been given work right away, whether it be moving cargo or doing random tasks for the crew members. They'd then been assigned a small, cramped cabin with four bunk beds that had thin sheets, hard mattresses, and a thick smell of something rotting in the air. Both Dario and Glenn had been completely drained and were asleep before they hit their respective beds, leaving only Karsh and Norris awake. "It seems kinda weird that the captain just accepted us as cabin boys after we stowed away onto his boat, don't you think? And how he didn't tell us where he planned to bring us."

Karsh shrugged, pulling off his boots. "Aye agree, Nor. Tha man's not giving me an honest impression. Ye think e is up ta somethin'?" His new friend nodded, pulling the thin sheet over his tired and over-worked body. "Hmm, so then the lad and aye aren't alone in our suspicions."

"You think something's up, too?"

Karsh snorted as he climbed up into his bunk, an attitude radiating off his body as he made his way up the wooden ladder. "Ay'm na stupid, Nor. Tha man's up ta somethin', all right, and we arena gonna like it." He pulled himself into the bed and sighed as he began to arrange himself to his liking in the thin linens. 

Norris gulped as he pulled the blankets more tightly around himself. "Think we'll ever get to El Nido as this rate? If that captain's up to something, then we might not get there," he said. He sighed heavily. "Ugh. The past few days have been a bit more than I can bear. One day I was living a perfectly normal life, and the next day I'm probably a wanted fugitive on a ship bound for some unknown destination."

"Exactly- we dinnae know where we're going," said Karsh. 

"So what do we do to make the situation better?"

"You tell me."

Norris bit his bottom lip. "Then I guess there's nothing we can do, huh?"  
Karsh nodded. "All we kin hope is tha this is just a real nice guy we're dealing with."

The blonde Porre put his hands behind his head and looked upwards at the above bunk. Norris rolled onto his side as he sighed heavily as he contemplated what Karsh had just said. Now it was his turn to snort at his companion. "You know what, Karsh? Somehow, I doubt that."

"Aye wouldna doubt ye fer a second."

~

Morning came, and the boys had been given the task of peeling potatoes in the hull of the ship. The captain had told the boys that they were not to go on deck unless they were finished or someone came to get them. And with the large amount of potatoes they had to peel (Dario has estimated it to be several hundred), it looked as if the four boys would be down in the hull for a long time.

"How much longer is it gonna take to peel all these potatoes?" Glenn asked innocently.

"Too long," Karsh muttered, tossing another finished potato into the finished potato pile. "This stinks! Aye know that we should be thankful e didn't throw us off the boat or somethin' but come-on! Peeling potatoes? What is with this guy?" He turned to Dario. "Yer brother and ye were asleep when Nor and aye had a lit'l discussion- we think the captain's up to somethin' that we aren't gonna like, because face it- the man's acting weird, even if we DID stowaway."

"No kidding- he isn't telling us where we're heading," said Dario. "For all we know we're heading back to Porre." His two friends and his little brother all froze, staring at him in fear. Dario shook his head. "I'm just saying that we should be cautious. We've been in a bad situation for about three, four days now and it hasn't gotten any better."

"It could be worse," Norris reminded them. "You did get out of that Porre jail cell, didn't you? If you hadn't, the three of you would probably be in some sort of a torture chamber or worst- at least we're all alive and out of Curtis' hands, so we should be thankful for that much."

"Yeah, but is the jerk we dinnae know worse then the one we do know?" Karsh added.

Glenn sunk into his corner of the room. "Dario, I'm scared."

Dario put an arm around his little brother's shoulder. "Don't worry, Glenn, we'll get through this. Somehow. And we'll find our way home, one way or another. All right?" The smaller boy nodded, rubbing his eyes with his fist. The older boy hugged his younger rubbing, softly comforting the disturbed child. Norris and Karsh exchanged knowing looks.

A knock sounded, and the boys all looked up. "Captain wants you boys on deck!"

"Well. . . maybe the man has some good news for a change," Norris said as he brushed off his pants. "Who knows? We could even be in port- if the destination was Truce, this is about the right amount of time for a trip between the two." Quietly, the boys stood and began to make their way to the deck, all with hopeful, but somewhat skeptical thoughts running through their heads. At least now they'd have a better idea as to what this man was worth as far as his word went.

As they emerged on deck, they looked around to see an unfamiliar setting. As opposed to the cheery and homey houses and buildings of Truce, the boys looked out to see thatch roofed houses made of a clay or a mud of some sort. Disgruntled grumbling could be heard in the background as they looked to the captain for an explanation. This wasn't Truce or El Nido! So what was this place?

"So, these are the boys you're giving us?"

The boys turned to see a tall, thin man with deep blue skin and large, pointed ears standing by the loading dock. Norris held up a gasp, then shot a threatening look towards the captain. That was enough to tip off the other three that the captain had not told them their destination for a reason.

This was Medina.

And that man was a Mystic.

Glenn cried out and hid behind Dario, trying to place as much between him and as the Mystic as he could. The blue Mystic laughed, looking at Glenn with interest. Karsh bit his bottom lip, his eyes darting back and forth with worry as even more Mystics came on board the ship, many holding iron chains in their grasp. Norris looked panic stricken as he tried to come up with a solution to their problem as they were shackled in the irons cuffs. There was no use in fighting back- four young boys would never stand up to such a large group of full grown Mystics. And even if they did fight there was no escape.

They were going to be enslaved.

And there was nothing they could do about out.

~

You know, the more I look at the first part of the chapter the more I truly understand the effect _Kingdom Hearts_ is having on me. That's such a good game- I WANT THEM TO BRING _FINAL MIX_ TO THE STATES! THEY MUST!!!

And they'd also better release a sequel- it's gotten to the point where I'm having dreams about it. No, seriously. It was this really weird concept where Ansem looked like Korcha and he killed Sora, Goofy, and Donald with these really badly drawn cardboard cutouts that were coming in hordes to attack them. And the entire world of Atlantica was somehow involved in another way to kill Sora, but it was actually a failed attempt to save him. But then a ghost Donald was walking around in this really ghetto Hundred Acre Wood and Goofy had a Key Blade. 

No, I'm not on drugs. But now that you know what goes on inside my head this may provide insight as to where some of my humor stories come from (aside from a certain Lena Ban Obsidian). 

Speaking of sequels, I've seen a lot of contradictory information on this supposed new Chrono game. After a little research, I've found that Square registered the name "Chrono Break". More than likely, but not positively, this is the next game in the series. Contradictions include a site saying it'll be made for GBA (piss poor- dammit, I don't HAVE a GBA) and another trying to sell it as a PS2 game. Yet another site did this really odd thing involving a prank but later said they still hold true to PS2 being the platform. Personally, I think it'll be for PS2. My most. . . er. . . interesting research venue was at a message board that involved, mostly, CT fans and CC fans trying to rip each other's throats out. Really, c'mon- why the hell do some of the hard core CT fans hate CC so much? Well, okay, so CC saw the demises of most of the characters, and through theories you can find the death of every character save Magus (thanks to Alba there's a really nifty one about Frog's death, we pretty much know about the main three, and of course there's poor Robo. . .). And there's no character development. Yeah. Sure. And Turnip is going to stick his head in a salad shooter. WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK I WRITE ABOUT VIPER MANOR!? It's like a soap opera in there!

And yeah, a lot of this chapter is from the original. Tweaked, but from the original. Chapter was done quickly though!

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Eight reviews.

Alba: Yeah, while the true nature of the fic is pretty serious, there will be some amusing moments later. I STILL want Karsh to go on panty raids. Yes, yes it can be. I already commented on the second paragraph. Hey, as long as the computer kicks ass nothing else matters, right? ^.~

Dixxy Mouri: Who the hell is this psycho? Okay, so my "review" doesn't count towards the eight review ransom- I was just getting back to Alba the lazy way. 

Uftaki: Yes! Yes it is! Celebrate! Yeah, the escape was a little more realistic. Yup- Norris needed something better to say to such scum. As for me continuing, I hope I don't disappoint!

Tami: Hmm, yeah, I guess so. I also download Anime and some video game soundtracks. Yeah, Lunar 2 is a VERY hard game. Probably one of the hardest I've ever played, and I've beaten several games in my lifetime. They include:

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Pokémon Blue (GB)

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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

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Pokémon Silver (GBC- Not Sure if I beat Ash. . . hmm . . .)

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Lunar: SSSC (PS)

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Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (PS- also finished Epilogue)

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Kingdom Hearts (PS2- did everything but the Deep Jungle mini-games, never got any trophies from Black Fungus or Rare Truffle .)

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Chrono Cross (PS- well DUH)

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Chrono Trigger (PS version- I like CC better, myself)

Why don't you make CC your first beat? No boss is too powerful for you to not defeat because of the star system, though some bosses can be tough, like Garai and Miguel. Aw, be nice to him- he'll be nicer in years to come. The thing with siblings is that they're actually the best people to talk to in some situations. Why? Because, unless you're dealing with issues like divorces, step siblings, half-siblings, or other family issues, you grew up in the same household. They know just as well as you do what it was like to have your mom and your dad as parents. There may be things only the two of you will laugh at, and there may be things that only you two will shed tears for. He may seem like a pain now, but in years to come it'll be a lot different. As for getting inspired. . . YES! YES, YES, YES! DO THAT! PLEASE DO THAT! **EVERYBODY! TAMI'S WORKING ON HER FIC AGAIN! BREAK OUT THE PUNCH ANF PAR-TAY!** *dances as "Celebration" begins to play in the background*

Crystal Cat: Well, as you can see they've ended up in the same place. The plot, for the most part, isn't going to change much. Stealing the boat won't be so easy- in the original draft, Viper closed El Nido as a port, which means ships can't come and go as they please. They'll probably play with boats for a while, though. Currently they're in Medina, which is an island- basically they'll be spending a lot of time on the _Chrono Trigger_ world map, which El Nido would be a very small part of. If something happens to the Zenan bridge they they'd probably need a boat to get across the northern and northern areas of the Zenan continent. There's also Choras, the Sun Keep's island, and probably other areas on the world map we don't know about because they weren't needed. Also, taking a leaf from the late Soulblighter-2's book, I'm characterizing the different countries and cities instead of the cookie-cutter towns we had in CT. They do drift for a while, but most of the time they have someplace to crash, usually an abandoned cabin or something. Not the best places to live, but they're better than nothing. I'm taking a lot of nods from the book _Take a Thief_ by Mercedes Lackey, which was recommended to me by Lena Ban Obsidian- VERY good book and contains a lot of good views on stealing.

Tha Kid: Yeah, but I read a lot of stuff I won't review either, but sometimes it's hard to say something on some fics that are just so-so. Other times I WANT to leave a review but I can't figure out how to nicely say that the fic is a piece of crap. No, you don't suck- have some faith in yourself. Thank you! 

Tha Kid Again: My, somebody's ass must be in quite a lot of pain. And of course Dario and Glenn kick ass- THEY'RE DARIO AND GLENN SO THEY AUTOMATICALLY KICK ASS!

Rikku-oh-ki: It's been a while! Yeah, pretty much an unchanged plot. But a lot of it people might not know anyways- even I might not know- because this one will last longer than the original.

Sir Boobus: First off, your name is either the scariest thing I've ever seen or the funniest. Ooo, Writer the Great? While I have no idea what a "whoot" is, I'm assuming it's a good thing. 

Megiltura Viper: Yes, the term is AU (Alternate Universe). Yes, of course it is! And it's an AU of the game as well- they won't meet up with anyone until at LEAST Serge's adventure, which is of now fifteen years down the road. AT LEAST FIFTEEN YEARS. There will be even different Devas. Some characters who should be dead are alive. Maybe some characters who should be alive are dead. No, the story doesn't end with Glenn telling the story- this story is a LOT different. Oh, an RW fan? Very cool *thumbs up*. Sage as White? Yeah, I was thinking that, especially where Kento's Yellow (the earth association). And Cye and Irenes would be cute, though Cye and Dixxy is better (look at my pen name for an explanation ^.^- Cye is my favorite Ronin). Hmm, Rowen would probably scream bloody murder, but I think I see what you mean- at first I saw something. . . I don't want to talk about it, but let's just say Rowen would be scarred for life. The first three are decided, Sage and Ryo of whom you seem to know about (assuming you've read S&S?). Cye's next, then Kento, then Rowen, and, depending on how many characters I want to juggle, any combination of no one, Mia, Yuli, White Blaze, Kayura, and the Warlords. Um, I'm confused about that last part *scratches head*.

~Dixxy


	4. Chapter Three

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Three

_Ow. . ._

Slowly, Dario lowered himself onto the mat of hay that had served as his bed for far too long. His hands were on the lower part of his back, which was screaming with pain from the work it had been forced to endure that day between lugging barrels of food and being whipped and beaten by the cooks for no particular reason. Dario closed his eyes and breathed heavily, tears flowing down his dirt-stained cheeks. 

It had been several months since the captain had betrayed them to the Mystics, about nearly a year if his memory served him right. And it had been, without a doubt, the worst year of his life. Even loosing his mother several months prior to his departure from El Nido hadn't been this bad. The death he could accept- she was dead and there was no way he'd ever see her again in his lifetime. It was the fact everyone he held dear save his brother, Karsh, and now Norris were still alive and well, yet it didn't look like he'd see them either.

_Like Riddel,_ he thought. The thought the blueberry haired girl relaxed him and the pain in his back ceased. Thinking of the general's daughter always made him feel better for some reason. Aside from being one of his best friends, something about her was different, which he hadn't been able to figure out until a few weeks earlier. _Damn it, Dario, how could you be so blind?_

He remembered the occasion clearly- he and Karsh had been given the task of doing their master's laundry. While going through was seemed to be an endless mountain of dirty clothing, Dario's mind had begun to buzz with activity after picking up a shirt the color of her hair, and had reminded him of her. He stared at the shirt for several seconds before his supervisor- a plump pink woman with green hair and more warts than he could count- screamed at him to get back to work. He'd quickly gone back to his business, Karsh sending him a look of questioning as to why he'd done what he did.

As he continued to work, however, his mind remained on Riddel. He thought of some of the odd things that she would do. She would always single him out when asking for his opinion, which he didn't understand at first. Riddel would often grab his hand and lead him off somewhere without Karsh or Glenn to tag along. And the way she would sometimes just rest her head on his shoulder and relax.

Suddenly he stopped. "Does she LOVE me?!" he'd asked aloud.

That, to say the least, got the attention of both Karsh AND their supervisor. That little mishap had gotten a bewildered look from Karsh and one of the worst beatings since his enslavement from the supervisor- a beating so bad he'd been sent to the infirmary to be cared for. Ozzie XIII didn't like slaves being needlessly killed- it would cost him a lot of money to have them replaced. 

Dario's thoughts shifted back to the present and he allowed himself a smile as he slowly lowered himself down onto his back. "Oh Riddel. . . why didn't I realize it until it was too late? I never even acknowledged your feelings for me. I never even knew. I. . . I'll find a way back to you. I promise. Just to say I know how you feel," he said aloud. He groaned as his back fired back up again. He snorted. "Who the hell am I kidding?"  
"It's not nice to use bad words- Daddy would be mad at you."

Dario chuckled at the sound of his baby brother's voice. Even after all he'd been subjected to, Glenn was still Glenn. The elder of the brothers cracked a smile as the younger walked closer and knelt down. "Hey, how's it going?" he asked. "How were the fields today?"

Glenn nodded. "Dirty," he said. "But it's always dirty cause there's lots of dirt. And mud." The youngest of the slaves were sent outside to pick the pebbles out of the soil of the small patch of land that Ozzie XIII used for growing food. It wasn't a terribly dangerous job unless it got really hot or really cold, but he knew that it was one of the most boring tasks available. And it was NEVER done- every time a child picked out one stone, two or three more seemed to take its place.

Glenn laid down next to his brother and looked at him with a very childish curiosity. The tanned, dirty face of the six year old was so close their noses were almost touching. That was a sure sign that Glenn was worried. "Dario? Why are you laying down? Is it time for bed yet?" he asked innocently. Dario shook his head. "Are you all right? You're smiling but you don't look very happy- your eye are sad."

"I'm just in a little pain, that's all," said Dario. "Back hurts."  
"Again?" asked Glenn.

"Yeah- again," he said.

"This is getting' STUPID!" The brothers saw that Karsh and Norris were coming back from wherever it was they had been assigned that day. Karsh was visibly more irritable than his blonde companion, stomping about the room the four shared in an enraged fury. The fact they had the room to themselves was something short of a miracle- if anything they had expected to be separated, but by some strange twist of fate they were all together in the same room. It was small and cramped, but it was just them and because of that it was a little bit easier to ventilate their frustrations over what had befallen them. Had they been with other slaves they would've been told to shut up and keep quiet. "We've been in this 'ell 'ole fer a whole damn YEAR! Aye kinnae take this anymore! When are we getting' outta here?!"

"Well, if you have any ideas I'm sure then rest of us would like to hear them," Dario said. "We all know this past year has, to put it frankly, sucked, but in our current position we can't do anything about it. Ozzie XIII isn't a complete idiot, you know- he knows how to keep his slaves, well, slaves. Escaping won't be easy."

"And we can't rely on the Dragoons anymore, not since Guardia fell," said Norris. The boys hung their heads in remembrance. It had been just a few weeks after their enslavement that the news of Guardia's defeat reached Medina. King Crono had asked Viper to return to El Nido to save his own people before it was too late. The General had complied and Guardia surrendered just a few days later. That had been a blow to their morale. Even if they denied it, they all had hopes that one of the Dragoons would come to their rescue. But that chance was gone. By now everyone in El Nido probably assumed Dario, Glenn, and Karsh to be dead, and who knew what Norris' family thought about it? Did they even care now that he was, basically, a traitor?

"While escaping would be our main objective, it won't be easy or safe," Dario said.

Norris leaned up against one of the four walls and slid to the floor. "No kidding," he said. The Porre youth looked at Dario and rolled his shoulders. "Hey, is your back hurting you again?" Dario nodded, wincing painfully as a wave of the nauseating sensations came back for another round. Norris crawled over to where Dario laid, cracked his knuckles, and placed his hands on his thighs after sitting up. "Can you get on your stomach?"

"Why?" asked Dario.

"Well, Ozzie likes his massages and apparently I've got a natural talent for them. This should relieve at least a little of the pain," said Norris. Dario nodded, slowly rolling onto his back. Once he was settled in, he could feel his friend's knuckles grinding into his backside. Dario winced, but found that the pain was subsiding. Feeling this, he breathed deep and rested his head on his folded arms.

"So then let's star scheming and figure out how we're goin' te git out of 'ere," Karsh said. He sat down one of the hay mats and crossed his legs. "Les get down ta business. Nor? Dar? Glenn? Any of ye learn anything tha might help us make a break fer it?"

None of his friends had a response.

"Okay, ay'll be more specific," said Karsh. "Do you know of any plans Ozzie has? Weaknesses? Favorite foods? What kinds of tools do ye have access to on a daily basis ye could smuggle in here that wouldn't be missed right away? Even if ye don't think it'd be good someone else might."

"As of late I've been working with a lot of oils, incense, and lotions," said Norris, who was now using a sort of chopping motion on Dario. "I'm guessing they're all relaxants or something because Ozzie and any guests he has all get really relaxed and happy." He paused, thinking. "I wonder if a large amount of the stuff would put them to sleep?"

"Is a though," said Karsh. "Dario?"

"I'm the kitchens a lot," he said. "Norris' story made me think of something, actually. If we could get enough of the smelly oils and heat them with the stoves in the kitchens, that would create a mist that would permeate the air a lot faster. But the smell wouldn't leave the kitchen."

"I can get lots of rocks from the fields," Glenn offered.

Karsh sighed. "Anything with words on them?"

Glenn shrugged. "Not that I've noticed. Even if I did I couldn't help you- I don't know how to read yet," he said. He scrunched up his face in thought. "The Mystics usually give us bags to carry the rocks in- they aren't very big because they know we can't carry a lot but they give them to us."

"Maybe some of the rocks could help," said Norris. "Depending on what they are we could use them. Even a few small round ones would make excellent ammunition for a slingshot, if we could get our hands on one. And the bags. . . well. . . how much would you say the bags could hold in terms of. . . loaves of bread."

"Two, maybe three if they're small," said Glenn.

"Karsh, what do you do all day?" asked Dario.

"Laundry. Lots, and lots, and lots, of dirty Mystic laundry," said Karsh.

Norris' eyes widened. "Going back a little to Dario's idea, do you realize that the kitchen only makes a small fraction of the steam the laundry makes? AND that the laundry is centrally located in the manor!? If you and Dario are able to get some of my oils into those giant mist makers we could get the whole manor to fall asleep!"

"And us?" asked Glenn.

"Well, we'd escape," said Norris.

"But wouldn't we be asleep?" asked Glenn.

Norris shook his head. "I think the oils only get to the Mystics- I've never even gotten the least bit drowsy off the stuff and I'm near it more than they are," he said. He sighed. "Still, it's a risky plot. We also can't ignore the fact Glenn will be out in the fields and the Mystics out there won't be able to smell any of that."

"And there's the escape off the island issue, too," said Karsh.

"That I've already gotten figured out," said Norris. "South of here is a cave- Heckran Cave. I was giving a massage to Ozzie and a guest of his, and they talking about a water gateway of some sort that will spit you out at Truce. While I have no idea if it's true or not, it's better than staying here. If push comes to shove we'll sneak onto another boat headed for another destination- even if it's Porre or Choras we can keep sneaking onto ships until we find a better place to stay."

"So, in summary, we're going to try to knock the entire manor out," said Dario. He nodded. "Norris, smuggle as much incense as you can in here- we can get that in multiple areas of the manor." He cringed as Norris dug his knuckles a little too deeply into a soft spot on his back. "OW! Norris, that hurt!"

"Sorry, I'm just really excited that we have a plan that might work!"

"Aye'd recommend doing this a nigh- then they'll be relaxed already," Karsh suggested. "Besides, the nigh will cover our getaway to tha Heckrun Cave place. Any ideas how far it is from here?" No answers. "Fine. We'll improvise on tha one and hope no one spots us."

"We'll start tomorrow. Karsh, investigate the laundry as much as you can. Norris, you know your job. Glenn? Bring some rocks with you- I have an idea for a backup plan. Karsh, when you're investigating the laundry see if there's anything that would make a big mess if something were to get clogged."

"Ooo. . . aye like messes," said Karsh.

~

A week passed, and the boys were convinced they had enough materials. Norris had been very good with smuggling the scents and oils away, claiming he was going to try to make some new scents by mixing pre-existing oils together. Not suspecting anything, Ozzie had happily given him several bottles, mixing bowls, and powders, expecting great results from the boy.

Karsh had found where the soap was added to the large baths used for the laundry and figured out how to open and use them himself. He also found the heat controls, which could make more steam. This would not only knock out more of the manor, but it would also provide extra cover for them and any other escaping slaves.

Dario and Glenn had spent the week gathering things to clog the waterworks in the laundry- if they plan failed, they were going to flood Ozzie's manor once something got backed up enough that it exploded. Straw, rocks, dish rags, and other random objects were collected.

Now they just needed to set the plan in motion.

It was late at night when they chose to set their plan into action (thus eliminating the problem of Glenn being in the fields during the day). The door to their room was supposedly locked by the guards (as was always done), and the non-indentured or enslaved residents retreated to their beds. Then the guards took their posts and prepared for the long night watch shift. In the eyes of the Mystics, nothing was out of the ordinary.

To the boys, everything was going according to plan.

Once they were sure the guard outside of their room was gone, Karsh produced a thick copper wire. He slipped it through the crack of the door by the lock and began to jab at it as quietly as he could. Having someone hear them would not be good, so the process was long and painstaking. This was one of the more difficult parts of their plan. Once they were free it was just a matter of sneaking around past some Mystics to get to the laundry. 

With a soft "click", the door was open. Karsh turned his head, putting his finger to his lips as he looked at Norris. Norris, in turn, performed this gesture for Dario, who gave the gesture to Glenn. Glenn turned to give the gesture to someone else, realized there was no one else, and scurried after the older boys. His feet scuffled a little louder than they had planned, which earned the youngest boy three very angry glares.

Quietly (now that the "shushing" incident had passed), the boys tiptoed through Ozzie's manor. Dario was carrying the supplies in a bag over his back (which was feeling much better thanks to a lack of serious abuse over the previous week) while Karsh and Norris kept watch for guards, other escapees, or anything else that may prove hazardous to the plan. Glenn's job was to basically help everyone else, especially once they got to the laundry.

After a painstakingly quiet and slow walk, the boys found themselves standing outside in the large room that served as the laundry. Dario quietly put his hand on the doorknob, turned it, and let himself and his friends inside. Quietly, before anyone would notice, the door was closed. 

For the time being.

Now it was time for them to get to work. Norris had made several potent oils that had all but put Ozzie into a coma. It was now up to Dario and Glenn to put some of the potion into all of the large vats. Then he and Karsh would start the laundry, open the door, and make sure than every room in the manor was affected by the smells. 

Quietly, the boys went about their work. Dario and Glenn carefully made sure to get as much of the sweet-smelling perfumes into the vats while Norris and Karsh stood by the cranks and handles that turned the laundry on and off. Each boy could heart their heartbeats and feel their palms beginning to sweat. If their plan worked, they'd be home free.

If they failed, it meant certain death. 

"That's the last one," Dario hissed. "Turn it on!"

Karsh and Norris complied, beginning to turn the cranks. They went on easily, and before five minutes had passed the laundry was filled with the heavy smell of the sleeping potion. Feeling that it was safe to go, the boys left the laundry and began to run through the halls of Ozzie's manor at breakneck speed, nervous yet happy smiles on their faces that only grew as more time passed. 

The boys were home free.

~

_Very good, little boys- I didn't actually think you'd make it out alive,_ the cloaked figure thought. As the boys sprinted through the fields of Ozzie's manor towards the cave, the hooded one watched in anticipation. A grin cracked on the face of the watcher, glinting white teeth shining in the moonlight. "Enjoy this feeling of happiness, boys- your futures show darkness and despair. . . and me."

With a swish of dark cloth, the figure was gone.

~

CT veterans know exactly what's in store for our intrepid little wanderers once they get to that cave. FLYING LESSONS!

I think I'll be cutting the Melchoir/Truce Massacre thing for now. It could come up later (wouldn't it suck for someone to be picking pockets in that place when the Porres invaded?) but for now I won't use it.

I have a Chrono Cross fanfic archive now! There's also a message board, plot/character analysis, and of course the chance to submit stuff. Currently the following people have offered to post: **Lena Ban Obsidian, Alba Aulbath**. I also have my stories as well as Soulblighter-2's writings. 

****

There could EASILY be shonen-ai/yaoi implications later in the story. However, the pairing(s?) won't be in the spotlight. The two major romances are both your normal everyday boy/girl affairs. 

I feel like testing you guys. **Lena Ban Obsidian, you may tease and poke fun but do NOT reveal this one**. In addition to Dario, Karsh, Glenn, and Norris, there will be **two other thieves** in the gang who haven't joined yet. One of them is fairly easy, the other will be harder. First person who gets **BOTH** will get their name mentioned and maybe a cameo or something. Lena, you should know why you aren't included in this one- she knows the other two. 

****

Eight reviews.

Alba: Nope. Not for a while. Yes, and he probably drags some of the other thieves with him! I saw that story, actually. What other CC/CT/FFX characters are going in? What worlds will they visit? I was recently on a message board for worlds people wanted to see and some of the more popular worlds were:

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Robin Hood (Robin as recruitable character)

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Lilo and Stitch (Stitch as recruitable character)

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Toy Story (Buzz or Woody as character, Lord Zurg as bad guy)

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Neverland (not just the damn pirate ship and clock tower- since Hook is still alive he could be a bad guy)

Others that came up included Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Treasure Planet, Atlantis, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and a few that weren't Disney at all. Obviously you're using FF and Chrono worlds. Personally I'd LOVE to see Robin Hood in KH2. 

Uftaki: Well, I actually had a chapter done --*. 'course I cheated and used a lot of the old chapter two, but things are moving faster! Actually, it was roughly a little under a year (ten or eleven months). I'm not sure about El Nido chapters- I'm toying with the idea of a novelization of Serge's now dramatically changed adventure. And as we know it isn't just these four- who do **_you_** think the other two are ^_^? 

Tami: *shrugs* Well. . . I don't know what to say. Yeah, I like CT elements, but I don't like flat CT cross-overs. You're making Glenn a brat? Aww. . . how cute.

Megiltura Viper: Because he's evil? Ew. . . evil captain guts *shakes evil captain guts off shoes* Yes, poor Glenn. But what about the others? Dario, Norris, and Karsh aren't having a picnic, either!

Tha Kid: Well, I guess so. But I really wasn't aware you were lazy ^_^. As for your following comments, amen to that! And thanks for the chapter comments.

Sir Boobus: I'd guess so. Wow! I learned something!

Miso14: I don't think TaT will be humor so much as drama, angst, and romance. Reading is fun, and I read novels, too. For some reason I can't remember the last one I read. . . oh, wait, _Ender's Game_ by Orson Scott Card. GREAT book. Yay! I'm a novelist-esque writer! Whoo-hoo! *victory dance* Be nice to the kids? How long have you been reading this?

Crystal Cat: THANK YOU REVIEWER NUMBER EIGHT!!! Revolution? Hmm, that's gone through my mind. I think at most it would be more of a rebellion. Ha! Glenn as the brains! I think the "brilliance" behind the young Glenn is that while Dario, Karsh, and Norris try to complicate things for themselves, Glenn just finds the simplest solution to a problem. He's also one of the more determined members of the group. The Chrono gang? Well, at this point Lucca is still alive and well with the orphanage and I wouldn't mind throwing her in. Marle and Crono are very iffy at this point. When dealing with Frog, I usually make him an ancestor of Dario and Glenn's (you know, a grandfather with many instances of the word "great" preceding it). Ayla, Robo, and Magus. . . eh. I like Ayla for her thieving abilities (hey, maybe she could teach them how to steal ^_^) but I don't know about Magus or Robo. 

Until next time, keep reviewing and I'll keep posting!

~Dixxy


	5. Chapter Four

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Four

Norris awoke with a start, bolting upright into a sitting position as he looked around wildly for what had disturbed him. His breathing had become heavy and exaggerated from sheer fright and his heart pulsed. The former Porre leaned backwards, falling onto the heels of his palms as he looked around the small neck of the cave he and his friends had stopped for the night in.

A dripping sound just behind him told him what had disturbed him- a drop of water to the forehead will do wonders to wake a person up. Norris grunted in disgust as blew up at his bangs, pushing himself up against the wall, where he crossed his ankles and brought his knees to his chest. He ran a hand through his hair, sighed, and closed his eyes.

As tired as he was, Norris couldn't sleep. The fact that they were all sleeping in a cold, damp, and rather uncomfortable cave was probably the main reason for that. The only softness they had came from their shirts, which they'd all taken off to make makeshift pillows with. Karsh was sprawled out several feet away, silently sleeping on his stomach. The brothers, as always, were closer together, mostly because of the younger of the two. Despite how much the six-year-old had grown up over the past year, he was still a scared little boy looking for comfort and solace from his older brother. 

After their escape from Ozzie's manor, the boys had gone to the cave that- supposedly- had a way back to Truce. It was a fairly large, damp cave. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all soaked, but it wasn't a completely bad thing. For one, the water was completely clean and cool- when they'd found a small basin they'd stopped to drink some of the best tasting water any of them had ever had. And the water made way for some magnificent waterfalls and streams that glistened in the soft light of the cave.

That was one thing that puzzled Norris. Despite how far into the cave they were, it was still light as day, yet he couldn't see any source of light. No torches, no bright shinning rocks, and no other fixtures that suggested a source. But at that point the boys didn't care- for the first time in nearly a year they were free, and little problems like a light source didn't matter very much. 

Still, the Mystics hadn't found them yet, which surprised Norris. They were two days into the escape and they hadn't so much as heard from anyone but themselves. That, he supposed, was a good thing. Unless, of course, they'd gone into a very dangerous area and no one was looking in the cave for fear of their own lives.

Norris shoved the thought out of his mind. He wasn't going to worry himself with that. At least not until they found something really dangerous, which they hadn't. He shrugged, pulled his shirt back on, and stood up. It was probably about time for everyone to wake up anyways.

Before he could make a motion to do that, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

~

"Good mornin', ev'ryone- sleep well, aye hope?" Karsh said with a yawn and a stretch. The brothers were sleepily rubbing their eyes as they sat up. Glenn flopped backwards onto his back, wanting to go back to sleep while Dario looked around in a slight daze. 

Karsh snorted. "Ye kinnae be tired!"

"Wanna try me? I'm beat," Dario said. He yawned, shook his head, and grabbed his shirt. "But we should probably get moving again. The Mystics haven't found us yet, but who's to say they won't?" He sighed. "I hate this. I really, really hate this. Aw, why did this even have to happen?"

"I'm sorry, Dario."

Dario gave himself a mental kick. Of course Glenn was going to blame himself for this. After all, he'd wandered off with Curtis and set off the chain of events that had happened since their initial departure from El Nido. "Glenn, this isn't your fault. You're still a kid- you're easily manipulated." He snorted. "Think about all the times Karsh and I tricked you into doing things."

Glenn scrunched up his face. "Like all those bugs you made me eat?"

Karsh guffawed at the mention. "Yeah! Aw, Norris, ye shoulda- hey."

The youngest member of the group scrunched up his face in disgust. "Hey what? It's not funny! They were slimy and gross and one of them made me really sick that one time! Why are you laughing?!" asked Glenn, who was a little irritable now that he had suddenly become the butt of all the jokes.

"No, no, no- where the 'ell's Norris?"

Dario and Glenn froze. They hadn't heard a peep from Norris, and there wasn't any sign of him. If they hadn't known better, their friend hadn't even been there. The elder brother slowly turned to his best friend, a serious look in his eyes. "Karsh, what happened to Norris?"

"If aye knew, why would aye be asking ye two?"

"NOR-RIS!!!!" Glenn called, cupping his hands over his mouth. "WHERE A-"

Karsh clamped his hand over Glenn's mouth. "Shut up! Yer going ta attract the Mystics before ye attract Nor! Or ye could cause a ruddy cave-in! If ye do tha, we'll all git KILLED. Do yew understand?!" Glenn slowly nodded, starring at Karsh through blurred, teary eyes. He clung to Dario as the three began to try and figure out where their friend had run off to.

Or. . . where he'd been taken to.

~

"Ah, you're awake."

Norris groaned. After he'd felt the hand on his shoulder, everything had suddenly blacked out. He opened his eyes to find himself starring at the ceiling of Heckran Cave. Norris sat up, shook his head, and lowered his chin to his chest. "Yeah," he said. The youth looked up, narrowing his eyes to see who it was that had taken him. All he saw, however, was a hooded figure. "Who are you?"

"I could be your best friend, or I could be your worst enemy- your choice."

Norris snorted. "I don't like games. At least not games like these."

"Do you honestly think you have a choice?" he said. The hooded figure lowered his hood, revealing a handsome, blue haired man with deep brown eyes. "I brought you away from your friends so the two of us could be. . . alone." Norris raised an eyebrow, not understanding. "I'm impressed, I must say. The four of you were clever in your escape. VERY clever."

The color drained from Norris' face. "You, you know!?"

"Yes, I know all about your little escapades in Ozzie's manor. Ozzie is an imbecile. I, however, am NOT an imbecile." He gave his cloak a swish, revealing a well trimmed arm. "My name is Nicholas, and I am a wizard." To drive this home, he extended his hand, clenched it shut, and opened it to release a crow into the air. Norris ducked, briefly reminded that he wasn't a huge fan of large black birds.

"A wizard?" he said, once the offensive bird had vanished. "But I thought-"

"Whatever you thought is tragically incorrect," said Nicholas, drawing closer to the boy. Norris stumbled to his feet, not wanting to be caught on all fours if this man chose to attack him. "There are wizards in this world. They are few and far between, but they exist. I should know- after all, I'm one of them." By now he was nearly apon Norris, but the boy began to walk backwards to avoid his advances.

"What do you want with ME!?" Norris asked. "I'm nothing you'd be interested. I'm a fugitive from the Porre Republic and an escaped slave from Ozzie's manor- as much as you believe him to be an imbecile, he isn't COMPLETELY stupid!- and I don't have any money or skills!"

"Who said I wanted any of that?" the wizard said. He shoved Norris onto his back, causing the boy to cry out. Nicholas descended onto his and began to draw his hand down the side of his body. "You all have such nice, supple, virgin bodies. . . do you know my groin quivers and yearns for you right now?"

"No. . ." Norris said, shaking his head in desperation.

Nicholas chuckled, pressing one hand onto Norris' chest as the other reached for his belt. With a clinching sound, the buckle was released and the wizard pulled the strip of leather off in one pull. "Don't be so frightened, my little pet. It'll make you feel real good. Good and dirty." The man's eyes flashed amber, his mouth opening to reveal huge, glistening white fangs. 

Norris screamed. 

~

"Tha sounded like Norris!" Karsh said. The three boys stopped once the sound of the scream pierced through the cave. Glenn clung to Dario- as usual- while the older boys tried to discern where the cry had come from. Karsh pointed in a direction and the boys began to run with all their might.

"Do you honestly think you can resist ME!?"

"What the HELL what that!?" Dario asked.

"Trouble, duh!" said Karsh. He grabbed onto a thin, sharp looking stalagmite, snapped it, and continued to run with it. Dario stopped in confusion, Glenn nearly crashing into him. What was Karsh going to use that rock for? It dawned on him two seconds later, and he nearly slapped himself. Duh! A weapon! Dario grabbed a formation as well. "Glenn, stay behind me!" he ordered.

"Okay!"

Dario found Karsh in a chamber with a strange hooded figure. The purple haired teen had evidently taken the hooded figure by surprise, since he had him pressed up against a wall with the point of the rock aimed straight for his windpipe. If looks could kill, Karsh wouldn't have needed to keep the point at the man's throat.

"KARSH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Glenn said.

"Saving Norris' dignity! This guy is as sick as Curtis!" said Karsh.

Dario took two seconds to realize what Karsh meant. He saw Norris cowering in a small nook in the cave, tears streaming down his eyes and the shoulder of his shirt torn. Dario felt a pit grow in his stomach. Not this again! He'd hated seeing his little brother like that and now he had to watch Norris go through the same thing!

Glenn, being a little more naïve than his older brother, ran straight towards Norris. "Nor! Nor!" he cried, half-falling to his knees and he scrambled to his shuddering friend. "What happened? Did he hurt you? Is he really like that bad man?! Are you gonna be okay!?"

Norris looked up at the frantic six year old. "Oh, Glenn. . . I-"

"YE BASTARD! COME BACK 'ERE! AYM NA FINISHED WITH YE!"

All attention turned back to Karsh, who was standing in front of nothing. Evidently the cloaked man could teleport and had chosen to do so to escape from the raging thirteen year old. Karsh, however, wasn't too pleased this, apparently wanted to do more than just scare Norris' attacker.

"Karsh, not now- we need to find out what's wrong with Norris!" said Dario.

"No ye don't!" said Karsh. He calmed and turned to look at Norris. Glenn was now hugging and consoling a sobbing Norris. Dario was bewildered. Norris wasn't talking about it but something was seriously, seriously wrong. "E's been through a lot- leave 'im be."

~

"Do you think. . . he'll come back?"

Night had fallen once again (or, at the very least, the boys decided they were tired enough to set up camp again), and they were still in the cave. After his near rape, Norris was not himself and it became very apparent that the sooner they got him out of the cave the better. Glenn didn't understand the concept, but he could see that Norris was still severely distressed. 

"Per'aps," Karsh said. He and Norris had gone off to a semi-secluded area of the cave, away from Dario and Glenn. Since their adventure had begun, Norris and Karsh had become nearly inseparable. Sometimes Karsh felt like they were leaving Dario out, but to be frank, the elder brother was usually busy trying to take care of Glenn, which was a full-time job. Dario had been temporarily handed the task of raising the kid even though he himself wasn't quite grown up yet. Sometimes, they reasoned, it was just best to leave the brothers alone, and it was those times that they became closer. Once in a while Karsh wondered if he was becoming closer to Norris than he was to Dario, and that he and Dario were slowly drifting apart.

That idea didn't always settle well with Karsh. Though several months younger than him, Dario had been his best friend since before he could remember. When they were toddlers the two would always be playing some child's game in the side yard under the watchful eyes of their parents. Whenever one of them got into trouble (which was quite often), the other usually had their fingers in the mess as well. If one of them was sick, the other got sick or they refused to leave the bedside of their ill playmate. After Glenn was old enough to be teased and tricked into doing foolish things, the two of them usually worked together on the effort. Even when Riddel wanted to play girl games like "Tea Party" and the horrendous "Ballet Recital", or even worse, "Make-Up", the two would brave the perilous games together.

But at that point his fading friendship with Dario wasn't important- taking care of Norris was. Though that bastard of a wizard hadn't gotten beyond the stripping of his belt and the ripping of his shirt, the Porre fugitive was still very shaken and needed someone to be there for him. So Karsh stepped up to the plate to give Norris the individualized attention he needed.

Norris rested his head on Karsh's shoulder. "I'm scared."

"Dinnae worry 'bout it- if 'e comes back, we wouldna let 'im near ye," Karsh said. He wrapped his arm around Norris' shoulder. "Dar and aye'll make sure yer safe. We're na gonna let anyone get hurt. We've been through too much fer tha. Ye hear me, Nor?"

"Yes," he said. "Thank you."

Karsh smiled as he gently rubbed Norris' back. Norris sighed and leaned closer into Karsh's shoulder. The purple haired youth blinked in surprise. My, Norris was getting awfully cozy, wasn't he? He raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. It wasn't important. Norris needed someone to lean on. 

_But why do I feel like I want to do more than that?_

Karsh looked down to see Norris has drifted off to sleep. Gently, Karsh lifted a hand to brush the hair out of his face. The other boy didn't seem to notice, continuing to sleep peacefully. Karsh smiled. Somehow, he didn't want Norris to wake up. Carefully, as to not disturb his friend, he stood up and scooped the sleeping boy up into his arms to carry him closer to their camp site.

Gently, Karsh laid Norris down. The sleeper murmured something soft in his sleep, rolling onto his side. Curious, Karsh didn't leave his friend's side. He watched Norris intently, waiting for. . . something. What it was he wasn't sure, but he didn't want to leave him.

But he knew he would have to.

Karsh gave him a kiss to the forehead before retreating to the far side of the camp.

~

Wow, the first six reviews came in fast- I'm impressed!

Yeah, I was slow again. Real life is a pain, isn't it? But this time is was a LOT of burn-out. For me, May was a real BITCH. Basically my schedule was tied up, bound, and gagged, leaving bare minimum writing time. When most of it cleared up, I was, basically, burned out. So I'm going to be getting lots of rest. 

Recently, I've seen and become obsessed with _Weiß Kreuz_, so there's a chance I might write some _WK_ fics. As far as the Glenn/Cye treatment (i.e. they get "staring roles" in not fun {for them, anyways} fics), it's probably going to be Omi or Ken. If it's yaoi it'll likely be Ken/Omi, maybe Omi/Nagi, or some sort of a straight pairing. I've also seen five episodes of _Excel Saga_, _Akira_, and _Spirited Away_, but those probably won't have fics (but I'm in love with the idea of Haku/Chihiro ^___^ and _ES_ is probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen. _Akira_ I mostly saw just to say I saw it- it was good, but I don't think I'll rush out to see it again). 

On the other characters, here are the guesses you've made so far:

Almost everyone guessed Kid. Yeah. I said that in the original version. **So Kid is definitely one. **Uftaki, Alba, Crystal Cat, tami, Angelus, and Rikku-oh-ki have gotten Kid. Here were some of the other answers, all wrong:

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Uftaki: _Leena._ Nice guess, but sorry, it isn't a Gleena fic. Leena's back in Arni with Serge living a normal life. 

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Alba:_ Guile._ Equally nice guess! They'd have a good advantage with a guy like that on their side! Guile's whereabouts are currently unknown, but he may show up as a cameo later on. Remember, El Nido's gates will be closed shortly, affecting every single person from the Mainland- THIS INCLUDES GUILE.

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Crystal Cat: _Marcy._ Oh, I like that answer. Marcy would make an interesting thief, probably playing off the heartstrings of older people. But sorry, Marcy is in El Nido, but her childhood might not be the same as what you might think. For further explanation see the next note down (after the guesses and checklist). 

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Tami:_ Zoah or Riddel._ I nearly died laughing when I read Zoah. Why? Because once again that could be an advantage, if they wanted to get into the whole intimidation-breaking-down-walls kind of deal. Sorry, Riddel is back in El Nido getting all angst ridden over loosing her best friends. 

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Angelus: _Riddel._ Huh. You guys seem to like the idea of Riddel being a thief. But sorry, she's not going to be a thief. 

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Rikku-oh-ki: _Serge_. I'm actually happy someone guessed that. Sorry guys, Serge is in Arni. Though that would be REALLY interesting, Serge is too central of a character to take out of El Nido. I mean, he's the MAIN character. Take away Serge and you basically take away half of the cast because none of them would've involved themselves had it not been for him. But still, nice guess!

Here's a clue: Person #6 IS a recruitable character (i.e. so it isn't someone like Lisa or one of the Shaker Brothers or someone along those lines).

You've eliminated the following playable characters thus far:

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Karsh, Norris, Glenn, Kid, Serge, Leena, Guile, Marcy, Zoah, Riddel, and Serge.

This leaves you with the remaining playable characters:

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Lynx, Nikki, Viper, Korcha, Luccia, Poshul, Razzly, Zappa, Orcha, Radius, Fargo, Macha, Miki, Harle, Janice, Draggy, Starky, Sprigg, Mojo(y), Turnip, NeoFio, Greco, Skelly, FunGuy, Irenes, Mel, Leah, Van, Sneff, Steena, Doc, Grobyc, Pierre, Orlha, and Pip.

Please note that some characters are MUCH less likely to become thieves than others. For example, it's more likely Korcha, a rebel, joins the little band than Radius, an old man set in his ways. It's not ENTIRELY impossible the sixth thief isn't someone like Radius, but I won't say if it's one of them or neither of them.

Going back to Crystal Cat's guess, you have to remember that this story is a giant "What If?". We don't know how Dario, Karsh, and/or Glenn affected the other Dragoons or people in El Nido (we don't know enough about Norris to say what he did/didn't affect). For one, we know that Karsh had a hand in Solt and Peppor's training and recruitment. Now that Karsh isn't in El Nido anymore, the Shaker Brothers could be living different lives. Who's to say that Marcy or even Zoah wasn't affected by this absence? Here are all the characters we KNOW are going to be affected prior to Serge's adventure: Viper, Riddel, Garai, Radius, Zappa, Zippa, the Shaker Brothers, the children who live in Dario and Glenn's house, Marcy, and Zoah. And the entire fleet of Dragoons. There are other people who's lives will be changed drastically that I haven't included. This obviously includes Thief #6, but I will say that there are more to come, but these changes would count as spoilers *giggles at thoughts of plans for Garai*.

And now, real comments.

Uftaki: Yeah, poor Dario. Can we say "angst"? Yeah, Karsh probably had a ball trying to figure that one out. And I loved the Glenn scene. Heckran and the caped dude are partially explained. Now, as for Leena, that was a good guess, but I explained where she is. 

Alba: I know! Cloaked figure, well, he'll probably be back as a recurring bad guy. One of my goals is to have a LOT of people out for their heads. Are you throwing Glenn into the Kingdom Hearts fic? Because that would be cool. REAL cool. But of course we know I'm a Glenn fan, so yeah. . .

Crystal Cat: Yeah, Glenn has that knack. I actually might use something like that later if Glenn gets kidnapped or something (Dario: "Crap! Glenn's not here! Who's going to pull the plan out of thin air NOW!?"). 

Tami: Eh, I was bored. The Scottish accent I have to thank Lena Ban Obsidian for- she helped me out with that. I'm glad you're liking this, though.

Angelus: Yeah. The original was stupid. You wrote a fic? I'll have to look it up or something later.

Tha Kid: *laughs* I'm glad you're enjoying this! 

Lil' Glenn: Well, whenever I finish a chapter is when they get out. Sometimes the wait isn't too long, other times it's horrendous.

Rikku-oh-ki: Yeah, this is better. Man, you guys like trashing out _Thieves_. . .

Lena: As we can all see, Lena has exercised her right to tease about how she knows who #6 is and you guys don't. And of course I'm happy you're pleased with the chapter. Me? Disney? Hmm. . . interesting concept. Yeah, that was a slight mistake with Dario. Yeah, massacre is gone. And of COURSE Karsh loves messes! And there WAS some shonen-ai! 

Sir Boobus: Still love that name. I'm going to avoid cliché stuff myself, but thanks for the comments!

You!!!: Um, thank you. And we can now see who the cloaked dude its.

Paladin Dragoon: Thanks!

~Dixxy


	6. Chapter Five

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Five

"How long are we gonna be stuck in this stupid cave?"

"However long it takes to find our way out, I guess," Dario said, beginning to get aggravated with his younger brother. Glenn gulped and hid behind Norris, tugging at the older boy's sleeve. Norris looked back at Glenn, smiled weekly, and ruffled his sandy blonde hair. The young boy smiled at his friend.

Karsh snorted. "Glenn, yer a wuss."

"Am not!"

"Oh, just leave him be, Karsh. He's a kid," Norris said. Karsh's expression became unreadable as he quickly shut his mouth and focused on the endless cavern ahead of them. He was still a little confused about what had happened the previous night, and for now all conversation with Norris was to be avoided. His friend seemed equally perplexed, though he had no idea what was going at all- at least Karsh had a vague idea.

Speaking of Norris, he was acting ODDLY removed about his near violation. After he'd had a good nights sleep he was calm, talk normally with his friends, and didn't seem horribly bothered by the previous day's events. Then again, he was almost TOO calm, which made Karsh and Dario think that he had turned himself into a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

"There's a cavern over there!" Glenn said, pointing up ahead. The small boy scrambled away from the group towards the opening. His lithe form disappeared inside, causing Dario to yell after him in displeasure. Norris and Karsh followed the elder brother as he followed Glenn into the small room-like formation.

Once inside the dark room, the boys found Glenn looking at something at the far end of the room. "Glenn! Have you found something? Perhaps the water gateway that Ozzie was talking about?" Dario asked. The three older youths slowed their slightly quickened pace to climb a few steps to where Glenn was seated.

"It's a funny looking pond," he said. Glenn pointed at the water. "The water's kinda swirling, but when I drop a rock in it in doesn't go very far at all." To demonstrate his point, Glenn dropped a small pebble into the pool. It didn't even sink an inch into the water. "But look at THIS!" The boy reached into the pool, his entire arm going in.

"Glenn!!! Don't do that!" Dario said, pulling his brother away from the pond.

"And look! My arm isn't wet at all!" he said. 

Karsh felt the six year old's sleeve, then raised an eyebrow. "E's right- dry as a boon."

"So that means it must be magic or something!" said Glenn. "Let's go!"

"Wait. What if it's a trick? We don't know where it goes," Dario said.

"Yes we do- Truce," said Glenn.

"What Dario means is that we don't know for sure if this is the water gate or even if the gate exists. This could be something else and we need to be careful," said Norris. He sighed. "Sadly test objects such as the pebbles don't work, so perhaps it'll only accept living substance?"

"Anyone got a knife?" asked Dario. "I have an idea."

Glenn screamed. "No blood! No blood!"

"Na blood- ay'll bet e wants me air," said Karsh, pointing at the think mop or purple on his head. He produced a pocketknife, produced a lock of hair, and tied it with a piece of thread coming loose from his shirt. He stuffed a rock into the bundle, presumably to add weight, and dropped it into the pond.

It sunk and disappeared.

"I don't know if I wanna do this, Dario," said Glenn. He was clinging to his brother again. "What if it doesn't go to Truce? What if it just sinks down and down and you can't breathe because you're drowning? Dario, I don't wanna drown! I'm scared! I wanna go home!" And with that Glenn started crying.

"Lord Ozzie!!!"

Karsh's eyes widened. "The Mystics!"

"Oh no, what do we do now?!" Glenn asked, looking at the entrance to the cavern. More sounds of Mystic voices rang through the cavern like the toll of the doomed. "They'll find us! And because we're escaped slaves they'll probably kill us! We have to get out of here right now or else this is it!" 

Dario, now holding his little brother, looked at the pool. "You know. . . what have we got to loose?" he asked. "If the Mystics catch us then we'll die for sure. If we go in that water gate. . . we might get to Truce and have another chance. I'd rather take that chance than just give up now!"

"Dar's right, ahm goin' in!" The oldest of the group balled his hands into fists, staring down the pool in deep concentration. Taking a deep breath, Karsh jumped into the pool and vanished. The last bit of purple hair was soon out of view, leaving the other three boys in the cave. Swallowing hard, Norris followed suit as he stepped into the circle, yelping as he went under.

"Hang on tight, little brother," Dario said. Hugging his brother and lifting him off the ground, Dario gave Glenn a kiss to his forehead. "I love you, Glenn. I never said it enough, but I love you. I couldn't have possibly asked for a better little brother than you, and don't you ever forget that."

"Even if I'm a screw-up cry baby?" asked Glenn, still fighting tears.

"You're not," he said as he stepped into the pool. 

A second later, the boys were rushing through a long underwater water slide filled with twists, turns, and loops. Glenn was holding Dario tightly as both held their breaths for fear of what would happen if they tried to breath. The darkness and smallness of the long slide didn't help ease their feelings, and both were feeling very nervous.

This was only the beginning.

Suddenly, the slide began to shoot them upwards (though at that point it was hard to tell up from down). They found themselves suddenly out of the water, surrounded by air on all sides. Dario opened to eyes to see where they had ultimately landed, only to discover that perhaps keeping his eyes closed would have been better.

You see, Dario was several miles off the ground.

"HOLY SHIT!" 

Glenn opened his eyes at the sound of the profanity and he too began to scream. "OH NO!!! WE'RE GONNA FALL AND BE SQUASHED INTO THE GROUND!!! I DON'T WANNA BE SQUASHED INTO THE GROUND!!!" And with that their decent began, both brothers creaming bloody murder as they embraced for what they felt would be the last time.

Thud.

As soon as it had started, Dario found their decent had stopped. Glenn was still crying, but he was calming down. Karsh and Norris were sitting a few feet away under the shade of a tree, both looking skywards in amazement. In his hand, Karsh was holding a small bundle of purple hair. The elder brother blinked. It only felt like he'd fallen a few mere inches, yet he knew the decent was several thousand feet. "How. . .?"  
"Eh, like Glenn said- magic," Karsh said with a smile.

Dario laughed. "Magic."

~

"So, ow's it feel ta be free men again?" Karsh asked. Night had fallen and the small group was eating some rations Dario had been wise enough to take from their Mystic captors prior to their escape. The boys were gathered around a campfire in the woods several hours away from Truce. Using moss as a principle guide, they reasoned where Truce was approximately located, and from there it was just a matter of spotting something like Guardia Castle or Nadia Square. Then they could ask for help to get back home to El Nido.

"We're going to have to find you a new mommy and daddy," Glenn said to Norris. The young boy had been unmoved by Norris' sudden withdrawal, most likely due to the fact that, despite all he'd been through over the past year or so, he was still naïve when it came to topics involving THAT. "I bet we can find someone who would want you. I bet old Radius would like you! He's really, really nice and he's good friends with my daddy! He isn't married but he's always liked kids!"

"Mmm, Radius could be an option," said Dario. "But I don't know if Radius would want that. So what if he likes the three of us? We're our parents' problems. He might not want kids of his own. Playing with us and raising us are two different things, Glenn."

"Norris is already mostly raised," said Karsh. "Six years an e'll be out of tha house like a bat outta 'ell. Tha's when ay'll be movin inta Viper Manor when ahm finally a Dragoon. Nor, ye don't hafta be a Dragoon like Dar, Glenn an me but ye'll find yer niche back home."

Norris sighed. "El Nido is so different from Porre and Medina, though. Will I-?"

"It's beautiful," said Dario. "It's warm all year round there. We don't have winter there- in fact, it wasn't until last winter that the three of us saw snow. You remember that, right? Ozzie screamed at us to get back to work because we were looking at it like we'd never seen it before, which we hadn't. The wildlife there is vibrant, and there's warm beaches and lots of islands all around."

"And the Viper Festival!" said Glenn. "Termina gets all pretty with flowers and colors and music and games and all sorts of fun stuff! At the last festival Dario and I were at my mommy took me and Dario to all the booths and we saw all sorts of cool things there! It was great!"

Norris smiled. "That sounds like a lot of fun."

"It IS!" said Glenn.

"Ah. . . what aye wouldn't give to see tha place again. . ." said Karsh.

Dario sighed. "I'd like to see ANY of El Nido."

"I wanna eat Viper Churros!!!" Glenn said, happily bouncing up and down.

Karsh grumbled. "Let me git this straight. You get kidnapped, tortured and mutilated, enslaved, shot through the water slide from hell, and all you can think about is Viper Churros???" Glenn nodded energetically. Karsh smiled. "That kid's got the right idea! When we get back to El Nido, VIPER CHURROS ALL AROUND!!!"

"YEAH!!!"

Dario laughed. "Well, at least things are looking up for a change."

"What's a. . . Viper Churro?" Norris asked.

"A kind of food in El Nido- it used be army rations, but then it caught on with the general public and now everyone eats them," said Dario. He ruffled his brother's hair teasingly. "None more than Glenn. Mom and Dad told him SEVERAL times not to eat too many, and how many times did he listen?"

"Not often, that's for sure!" Karsh said with a snort.

"What about the time you got so sick you couldn't get out of bed for a week?" Glenn countered. "I think the people on Guldove could hear your complaints and even Marburle was able to pick you up!" He stuck his tongue out at Karsh, who reiterated with the sticking out of his tongue and the pulling down of the skin under his eyes.

"Well I only did that once- you keep getting' sick," he said.

"Not THAT sick! You are THREE TIMES more than any I've ever DARED!"

"Well, ahm a man and yer a little kid!"

"I AM NOT A LITTLE KID!!! I AM SIX AND A HALF YEARS OLD!!!"

"See? Yer still so young ye have to count the halves ta make any difference!"

"YOU'RE AN OLD FART!"

"HEY! AH'M THIRTEEN AND A QUARTER YE ICKLE SNOT!"

"BUG FACE!"

"DOOFUS!"

"MEAT HEAD!"

"Where did that insult come from!?" Dario fumed.

"SMALL FRY!"

"GIRLY-MAN!"  
Karsh gasped. "You take that back!"

Glenn smirked and folded his arms. "Make me."

"THA'S IT!!!"

Norris and Dario watched in mild amazement as the other two members of their party began to fight. The fugitive turned to the elder brother with a raised eyebrow. "Wow, for someone his size Glenn sure is a tough little cookie, isn't he? I think he's actually beating Karsh."

"ME AIR!!!! DINNAE TOUCH ME AIR!!!"

Dario shrugged. "Oh, he's used to it by now."

"So he's had a lot of practice?"

"TAKE THAT YOU MEAT HEAD!!!"

"Yup."

Norris sighed. "I never had any brothers or sisters, so I wouldn't know."

"THA'S IT! NOW YE'VE MADE ME ANGRY!!!"

"OH YEAH??? BRING IT ON!!!"

"IT'S ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT!!!"

"Just leave 'em- they'll sort it out on their own," said Dario.

The other boy gave his friend a skeptical look. "Are you gonna-?"

"Nope."

~

A few days later, they saw the far-reaching affects of the Guardia-Porre War.

The boys had crossed Zenan Bridge without incident, only to see that the tall foreboding presence of Guardia Castle couldn't be seen. Glenn, Karsh, and Dario all gawked at the empty space in the sky where the stone towers and flags should have been. "Where is it!?" Dario asked.

"I. . . guess Porre destroyed it," said Norris.

If they won the war, why did they have to take the castle down, too?" Glenn asked.

"It could've come down during the battle, ah guess," said Karsh. His eyes had grown serious as he stared at the empty space with his arms folded across his chest. A small breeze played with his hair as he continued. "Porre is much more advanced than Guardia was- it wouldn't take much to bring down tha castle."

"Or it was a symbolic blow to anyone left who might rebel," said Dario. He placed a hand on his little brother's shoulders. "As awful as this is. . . we can't long on the past. What happened, happened. We know that El Nido pulled out before this happened, so we can still go to there."

"But how do we get there?" asked Norris. He looked towards the empty space in the sky before gazing back at his friends. "The only way there is by boat, and boat fare costs money- something we don't have a lot of." He dug into his pocket and produced a few coins. "This wouldn't even be enough to get one of us across a small pond, never mind to El Nido!"

Karsh gulped. "How are we ever going to get that money?"

Dario leaned up against a tree, taking a pensive pose. "We could always do odd jobs or something," he suggested. He shook his head. "But it would take a long time to save up that much money, especially if we need to keep ourselves fed and clothed- we aren't going to stay this size forever, especially not Glenn, who has a lot more growing to do than the rest of us. Taking that into consideration, odd jobs will never work."

"And we kinnae hire ourselves out as apprentices are pages, either, because both of those jobs involve strict contracts tha last several years!" said Karsh. "By tha time there'll be no point in goin home. By then we'd have lives here and I wouldn't want to hurt anyone we meet here."

"And being anti-social will get us no-where," said Norris. "What do we do?"

Dario closed his eyes. "We'll figure something out. Let's get to Truce for now. and figure it out in the morning. Even if we're sleeping in the streets tonight, the town should be a warmer place with fires and people all around. And maybe if we're lucky someone will be willing to help us out from there!"

The group halfheartedly agreed and proceeded towards Truce. 

~

I think Glenn keeps coming out of the proverbial drier with the way he attaches himself to Dario. It's like one of those fabric softener sheets inside the sleeve of a shirt, you know? 

I swear, I'm fighting tooth and nail through this fic. I don't know why the writer's block is so bad here. Oh well, at least it isn't bad as my _End of Innocence_ writer's block. THAT'S a writer's block to end ALL writer's block. 

Yippee-skippy-do-dah-day, we got some author's notes. 

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But first, the guessing game. . . OF TRUTH!

Well, we got some winners here. Here are the guesses that were made this past round and the people who made the guesses. The winners are highlighted. **Winners please e-mail me for prize negotiations- I'll write a fic for each of you (and don't be surprised if I get carried away and turn it into an epic- I prefer writing fan novels and novellas).** **Thief #6 is going to be Nikki.**

Paladin Dragpon: Lynx and Harle.

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Alba Aulbath: Nikki

Angelus Errare: Lynx and Miki (damned close on Miki, though. . .)

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Tami: Orlha and Nikki

Deva Glenn: Mel

Crystal Cat: Fargo (also damned close)

Marlene: Grobyc

Uftaki: Orlha and Janice

Suh: Pip and Orlha

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Lena, you may stop gloating. Or else. . . I will shave Yohji's head, make Omi wear the Strong Bad Mother's Day sailor suit, force Ken to endure Chinese nipple torture as performed by a group of angry midgets and tape Aya's mouth up so it's smiling. _And none of the boys will have any cookies._

__

I mean it.

I was surprised at how many people guessed Orlha- maybe I'll give her a bit part or something. 

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I will give a cameo in this story to the FIRST person who tells me what "l33t" means. Seriously, I don't know what the hell that means.

Now for real comments:

Paladin Dragoon: Yeah, and he'll probably be back, too. The cloaked figure was Nicholas, but don't count Lynx and Harle out of the game just yet. 

Alba: Yes, I like writing evil villains like that. Villains are probably my strong point. The first fanfic I wrote that ever made a splash (a _Ronin Warrior_ piece entitled _End of Innocence_) featured a villain everyone loves to hate named Sheila McConner. She went along the same lines as Nicholas, but unlike the wizard, there wasn't anyone to rescue poor Cye *hugs Cye*. Yeah, I blame you and Uftaki for the Karsh/Norris part, though I don't think it's going to make either of you feel guilty or full of shame. Damn you for turning me on to such a cute pairing! ^_~ Yeah, the Karsh and Dario dilemma is going to need to come into play eventually. AND YOU WON! YAY! Glenn is in the KH fic!!! WA-HOO! AND YOU OLD COMPUTER IS UP! DOUBLE WA-HOO! SO WA-HOO WA-HOO!! Please e-mail me for your prize fic. 

Uftaki: This review was cut off. I'll look at the second one more in depth.

Angelus: Yeah. Blame Uftaki and Alba for that pairing. This is actually the. . . fourth storyline I've used that involves either a rape or attempted rape. The first was a story called _End of Innocence_ (which I mentioned in Alba's response) and two small parts in a series called _The Age of Legends Series_, which is a multi-volume saga type fic. School sucks. You need it, but it still sucks. I've only seen the dub because my brain can't process that information fast enough. Dude, I have to pause it and go back for some of the fat silent guy's lines. You were close with Miki, but no Lynx, though Lynx has a pretty good chance of showing up.

Cats-say-Meow: Okay.

Tami: Mmm. . . yeah, but as you can see I'm preferring the Karsh/Norris pairing this time around. You came SOOO CLOSE to missing out on that, but I counted your guess because you did support why he might be a thief. I won't say if that's the reason or not. I know! Where the hell is everybody!? Myself included!!! Last summer was probably something of a golden age for Chrono Cross fanfiction. . . including your fic about Dario and Glenn that never gets updated *cough, cough*. Remember to e-mail me about your prize.

DevaGlenn: Good guess, though! The scene with the cloaked man was meant to be creepy. Oh, he'll be back, but not right away. And he's only one of three villains we have as of right now- Curtis and Ozzie being the other two. I don't think any of the boys (or Kid for that matter) will come out of this without some sort of a trauma, but I'm not done playing around with who gets what and what stuff I will and won't use. 

Cats-say-Meow: Okay again. Glad you liked it.

Crystal Cat-Chan: There's a name I see a lot. Well, there's only so much picking on Glenn that you can do before he has the whole show. Granted Glenn is my favorite and I thoroughly enjoy tormenting my favorites, the others need a chance to suffer, too. Oh, don't worry about it. Serge's little misadventure does get affected, and it gets affected right from one of the very roots. I think I've mentioned that I'm working on a story about how Serge's adventure progresses with these changes, the prologue will be a major tip-off as to a HUGE change. I love Alternate Universes ^__^. And no Fargo, but once again, so very, very close. 

Marlene: Karsh as CC's Kento? Mmm, the way I write him? Most definitely. But in the way he actually is in the game I'd be quicker to compare him to Anubis, myself. The thing about CC is that there's a TON of room for character development since we really don't know too much about any of their behaviors or anything. Even SERGE has lots of room for that kind of stuff (just think about how quiet that kid is. . .). Well, yeah, at the very least that long if not longer. Grobyc would make a fun thief. I mean, he'd blow stuff up and junk. I actually have some fun plans for Grobyc involving a bored Norris and the lyrics to Jimmy Soul's "If You Wanna Be Happy", which is one of the damn funniest songs ever written. Especially considering it isn't by someone like Weird Al or Adam Sandler. Ooo. . . I'll have to look for those. And actually, Sonja made an appearance in one of Lena Ban Obsidian's fics, and it was VERY good (like ALL of her fics).

Uftaki: Fawgetaboutit. Burns outs suck. Well, gee, considering you're partially to blame for that coupling I can understand your enjoyment. Oh yeah, he's probably traumatized enough as it is, but right now he has bigger problems to worry about it. Right now he's probably running on auto pilot while the REAL Norris is huddling in a far corner of his mind. Because of the other story I'm working on, which I'm still kind tweaking with right now, there probably won't be anything shown in El Nido for this story, unless it's like a dream sequence or something (example: Dario is likely to have some freaky dreams about Riddel). The Norris/Luccia/Grobyc thing is something that I just don't know enough about to really make a statement on. Dixxy love Weiß. Weiß is good. Akira was something that I'm glad I saw but I'm in no rush to go out and buy it (I borrowed it from a friend). Spirited Away kicks ass. I LOVE HAKU!!! You were WAY off with Orlha and Janice, but everyone was guessing Orlha so. . .

Suh: I guess, it's your choice. Um, as of late things have been kinda quiet, but yeah. We all love Glenn pairings. **But then again there are people out there who have dubbed Karsh the Chrono Cross equivalent of a man whore**. Karsh is always hilarious. He wouldn't be Karsh if he wasn't. Man, Karsh is fun. Especially when you can give him fun nicknames. . . .Pip? Now THAT'S an interesting choice. But it gives me an idea. . . Pip is male. It says so in his profile. Well, the evil part of Pip depends on what elements you use- I usually go to Arch Angel myself. And who doesn't like Glenn/Orlha? Even if Orlha would be the dominant one (Note: Dixxy has been WAY watching too much _CSI_).

Lena: You shall heed my words- do not gloat or Weiß shall suffer the evil fate. Shounen ai and Weiß are good, but it really isn't a yaoi series- save Aya/Ran, all of them can are straight, especially Yohji. CC can be another story (you can even stretch Karsh to being bisexual if you wanted to). Still, Omi/Ken is cute. Hmm, straight Weiß? Lessee. . .you could do a fic about Manx or something. It wouldn't necessarily have to straight or shounen ai or shoujo-ai, but let's face it- she doesn't get enough credit. Um, okay. BUT NORRIS DOESN'T HAVE THE SEKSI BELT YET!!! And we all love Karsh. Especially your way awesome nickname for him. But Glenn will save the day sometime later. Well, you have to understand that as of right now they all have more than their friendships to worry about. Granted they need them to survive but Dario needs to take care of Glenn, and Karsh is getting closer to Norris because he's got OTHER feelings for him. Duh, right? Lena, the weirdest stuff makes you laugh. AND STOP GLOATING! *raises an electric shaver to Yohji's head and shakes the sailor suit at Omi*

Sylver: But I love cliffhangers! And the ransom is in a way necessary, though with how slow this has been going as of late there might not be a need for it. Still:

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I still want 8 reviews.

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And I wanna know what l33t means.

And the next volume of _Please Teacher_. (I love you Marie!!!)

~Dixxy


	7. Chapter Six

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Six

"Pure devestation."

The group of young boys were snow standing at the foot of what had once been Guardia Castle. Now, it looked like little more than an abandoned rock quarry. Even with Guardia Forest behind them, there was a thick, sickening silence that remained in the air. Huge jagged rocks marked the places where towers and rooms had once been, and the sick sensation of death and horror reigned supreme.

"Dario, I want to go," Glenn said, tugging on his brother's sleeve. "It's scary."

"The wee one's right," said Karsh. Karsh' normally playful demeanor had become sullen and moody, his eyes not as wide and happy as they usually were. "This battleground. . . it's a graveyard, now. Surely people died here. . . maybe even some in the castle."

"Wha, what do you mean?" asked Norris, looking at Karsh fearfully.

"Aye dinnae think the Porres would ave waited for the castle to be abandoned fore they tore it down," he said. He turned his head away, his eyes filling with tears. "Aye feel sorry fer the poor souls who weren't killed by the castle's destruction- they may ave died from thirst are starvation."

Glenn was noticeably shaken. "Starved?"

"The rule of threes," said Dario. "Three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Those times are about how long it would take before you'd die from suffocation, dehydration, or starvation. People in the lower areas of the castle may have been trapped in rooms or pockets of air. Their final days were probably dark and painful as their bodies screamed for nourishment they couldn't-"

Glenn started to cry, and Dario stopped talking. "We should go," Norris said. "This place is too harsh. We can't stay here and not go crazy from the mental anguish." Dario picked up his still crying younger brother, nodding towards his two other friends. He began to walk, consoling the young child in his arms. 

Karsh placed a hand on Norris' shoulder. The Porre fugitive was still staring at the ruins of Guardia Castle in morbid fascination, his face expressionless. Karsh lowered his gaze, his heart feeling heavy as he thought about how Norris looked. "C'mon, Nor. We'd better catch up to the brothers."

"I can't leave."

"What?"

Norris turned to Karsh, his expression now filled with something similar to worry. "You don't understand, Karsh. El Nido's army is purely a defensive force. They only use violence when they need to protect themselves. Guardia was the same way," he said. His eyes began to tear. "But Porre used its power just to hurt others! All they cared about was power and control!" 

"Norris. . ."

Norris fell to his knees, staring at his palms. "My people did this. . ." And he began to sob. "Curtis. . . he was probably in this battle. . . he probably laughed as he killed people. . . shot them dead. . . beat them bloody. . . oh God, what if he found another little kid like Glenn to torture?! What if he took some personal trophy back to Porre just so he could finish what he started with Glenn?!"

Karsh was on the ground before Norris knew what had happened, his arms around his sobbing friend. "Is all right, Nor," he breathed onto Norris' cheek. Norris felt a shiver go up his spine as Karsh's warm breath tickled his skin. "Yer naught like them. Yer different. Is going to be all right. We're goin' ta get to El Nido and you can start over. . . ye can stay with me and me folks are with Dario and Glenn are with Radius are somebody. You're from Porre but yer naught one of them." He gently placed a hand on Norris' shoulder, moving it to gently cup the other boy's face.

Norris turned to look at Karsh, seeing sincerity in his friend's face. "Karsh. . ." He moved his hand over his friend's face. "Somehow. . . just knowing you care makes me feel a lot better about all this. It doesn't make the pain go away, but. . . it's like a glimmer of hope for me." 

"Ye've got a bright future ahead of ye," he said. "Yer a good guy."

"Thank you- Karsh, do you realize how close our faces are?" Norris said. Karsh stopped briefly and realized his nose and Norris' noses were just a few hairs away from each other. The blonde watched in curiosity as large, red eyes gazed back into his own soft blue. The eyes became smaller as his friend's face shaped itself into a grin. "Karsh? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said. Karsh turned his hand to grasp Norris', gently rubbing the back as he did. He looked down and chuckled. "It feels strange. . . I know this isn't the way I'm supposed to be actin' towards another boy, yet it doesn't feel all that wrong, somehow."

Norris was taken aback as he blinked in surprise. Karsh also moved away, a feeling of shame on his face. The Porre fugitive looked at his friend with worry. "It's all right, Karsh," he said. Karsh looked at him in confusion as Norris gave him a kind, youthful and innocent smile. "I feel the same way right now."

If the happiness expressed on Karsh's face could be measured in sound, Norris would have gone deaf three times over. It wasn't so much a wild, gleaming happiness filled with excitement that would cause one to jump around and cheer, but rather one of being more than content with a situation. "Nor. . . are ye serious?"

"I know you kissed me back in Heckran Cave."

Karsh froze. "Ye. . . were awake!?"

Norris nodded. "Yes."

"Oh Dragon Gods. . ."

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

"Norris. . . aye should've restrained meself from-"

"-from expressing yourself?"

"Right after what could've happened?! Jeez, Norris!" Karsh got to his feet quickly. "Aye made a mistake. Ye were nearly raped by the psychotic wizard man and there aye go kissing ye in yer sleep. Without yer consent, none the less! Do ye realize how much aye ave regretted tha!? By all means ye should've screamed and run away from me! Aye made a move on you while ye were in a fragile state!"

Norris quieted. "But you saved me," he said. He looked up at Karsh, not bothering to stand back up. "Without even caring about what might've happened to you, you charged in there and saved me. I know it wasn't much, but you scared him off and I'd be in a lot worse shape if you hadn't. Karsh, what you did was selfless, and it was for me. And the way you defended me was incredible, as if someone was trying to hurt something that meant a lot to you."

"You're my friend," Karsh responded, sitting back down.

"Yes," said Norris. "We are friends. But I think we want us to be more than-"

"DARIO!"

Both boys were back on their feet. "Something's wrong!" said Karsh. He took Norris' hand and gave him a sly grin, quickly giving him a slightly seductive look. "We can finish this later, but right now we ave to see what the ruddy hell's happened to Dario and Glenn!"

Norris nodded dumbly and let Karsh lead him through the woods to where he thought Glenn's cry had come from. Under branches, over logs, and around trees they went, Karsh running the course as if he'd been running it his entire life. Norris wasn't as agile- sure he'd been put through some hard labor back while he was a slave, but Karsh, Dario, and Glenn had grown up with tournaments and games that tested their physical endurance. Norris was a city boy who was just now getting used to spending so much time outside, and he wasn't used to running with so many obstacles.

Karsh skidded to a halt some minutes later, Norris crashing into his back. After rubbing his head, he peeked over Karsh's shoulder to see a slightly horrifying scene. Dario was lying on the ground with his eyes closed and a worried Glenn hovering over him, screaming at his brother to wake up. A few feet away a man was standing with a large, heavy looking stick in his hands, slapping it into his open palm in a regulated, menacingly slow pattern.

The man was enough to make the scene scary. He was large in both stature and structure with several crude tattoos lining his arms and neck. His red hair was long, matted, and looked as if it hadn't been washed for days. His beard was long and in similar condition, though Norris was almost ready to swear that there was something LIVING in the red curls. His face, hands, and clothes were smeared with dirt and his smelled strongly of booze. From the looks of it, this man meant trouble and had already caused some.

"HEY!" Karsh yelled. He stepped forward, shaking his fist at the man. Norris tried to hold him back, not wanting the other boy to get into a potentially dangerous fight. "What the 'ell did ye do to me friends!? Aye'll kick yer ass ye filthy mongrel! If Dario's dead ye'll ave to deal with me, and aye bite a lot harder than ye'd think!" 

Slowly, the man turned to look at Karsh with dark, scary brown eyes. His jaw was moving up and down, a thick wad of slimey black tobacco in his mouth. "You think you're tough enough to handle me?" He grinned, and pulled out a gun from his belt loop. "Maybe you can. But I'd like to see your unconscious friend there dodge a bullet."

"NO! DON'T HURT DARIO!" Glenn threw himself over his brother's body to try and protect him. "You can't hurt him! He's my brother! We have to get back home! Our Daddy must miss us and if Dario dies he'll be devastated! Just let us go and stop hurting us!"

"If you want to live, you'll all come with ME!" the man demanded. He fired a shot from his gun into the air to prove his point. "Listen up- I ain't got no problem with shooting any of you little mongrels full of holes if you don't listen to every little thing I say. Got it!?" He turned to Karsh and Norris. "You two! Pick up Sleeping Beauty over there and start carrying him! We're going on a little trip. . ."

~

The "trip" led them to what they assumed to be the man's home. . . or hideout. It was a run-down, dirty house that smelled strongly of cat urine and rotting cabbage with broken windows, dusty floors and furnishings, and a sense of dread that frightened the three conscious boys (Dario was still out cold). 

The dirty man led them into a back room with an old, dilapidated couch, a cabinet, a chair, and a small table. The man pointed to the couch, and Karsh led his friends to it. Once all were sat down, the positioned Dario into a sitting position, Karsh leaning his childhood best friend's head onto his shoulder while Glenn got as close to his brother as possible.

"I want your names and your ages-NOW!"

"Glenn- I'm six!"

"Norris, twelve!"

"Karsh, thirteen! And Dario's twelve!"

The man snorted. "At least yer young and impressionable. . ." he muttered. He reached into the cabinet and produced a brown bottle that the boys guessed was filled with booze. He popped the cork, put the opening to his mouth, and chugged for a solid minute. Once he was finished, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, though his beard was still drizzling with whiskey.

"What do you mean by impressionable?" asked Norris.

"Easy to teach," said the man. He sat down in the chair and grinned. "You see, boys, you're going to be my personal. . . providers. When I want something, you'll get it. As long as you get it, I don't put a hole between someone's eyes and out the back of their head. Beautiful relationship, huh?"  
"So we're just running errands for you?" asked Glenn, looking confused.

"That seems. . . um. . . simple," said Norris. "But why threaten us if you just want us to go out and buy your groceries or what not for you? If you needed a little help around this place you should've just asked. We probably would have said 'no' unless you agreed to help us, but-"

"I ain't got no money," he said. 

"We don't have any money, either," said Glenn.

"So? You got fingers, don't you?"

Karsh growled. "Excuse me, but are ye telling us ye want us ta STEAL for ye?!"

"'Steal' is such a strong word," the man said, taking another drink from his bottle. "I prefer the term. . . 'borrowing and not returning without ever asking for permission'. And yes. . . you four WILL steal for me if you want to live. If any of you refuses, I'll just kill one of you and see how the rest of you like it. Let one die and let the rest deal with it for the rest of their lives. How does that sound?"

"You can't!" Glenn cried, cradling Dario's unconscious head. He was crying a little bit, but he wasn't in sobbing hysterics like he usually was. "We have to go home! And stealing is bad! It's really, really bad! We could go to jail for that, and we don't ever know HOW to steal!"

The pulled out his gun again and pointed it at Glenn. Glenn cried out, staring at the gun while his body shook in fear. "Well, then I'd suggest you learn how to steal if you value your lives. Got it, punks? You steal, or someone dies. Do I make myself CLEAR!?"

Glumly, the boys nodded.

~

"Oh this is nice! Things just keep getting better and better, don't they!?" Dario snapped. The four boys had been moved to a room in the house, where their captor had promptly locked them in. Karsh had tried to break the door down, but it was no use. Furthermore, Dario was still unconscious and unaware of what was going on. After his friends had managed to revive him, they filled him in on what had happened since he'd been rendered unconscious. "This guy is making Medina look like a vacation paradise! He expects us to STEAL for him?!"

"Yeah, but what choice do we have?" Norris asked. He sighed heavily, and glanced in Karsh's general direction. "If we don't do what he says. . . one of us dies. I don't want any of us to die. You all are my friends, and I don't know what I'd do without any of you."

"And what if he kills Dar are Glenn? Oh sure, Nor an aye will be crushed, but think of the other brother," said Karsh. Glenn looked ready to cry, but Karsh held up his hand. "Tha's why we are goin to ave to lissen to this bastard- fer now. Once we figure out an escape plan, it'll all be behind us. If we ken escape from the Mystics, we ken surley loose this bozo."

"Maybe Karsh is right," said Norris. He smiled and nodded his head. "Let's just keep our spirits up and hope for the best, right?" The other three nodded. "That's the idea! All we have to do is bide our time and wait for the right opportunity to make our break, just like last time!"

"And it might even be real soon!" said Glenn. 

"How so?" asked Dario.

"When he sends us out, we don't come back!"

Karsh coughed. "Aye dinnae think e'll let us all out- e sure isn't a bright crayon, but aye dinnae think e's a complete moron, either. 'e knows if 'e lets us all out then tha's exactly what we'll do. 'e went through too much trouble to catch us to just let us go, ye know?"

"So then are we doomed?" asked Glenn.

The room was filled with silence.

~

I came up with their new introduction to thieving and decided to run with it. It was too good to pass up. They're generally good-hearted kids who, I feel, would've been able to figure out a way to get food and money without stealing. This kinda forces them into it, which seems slightly more realistic.

Lena Ban Obsidian did some more beta-work for this chapter. Yay Lena! She did some minor word changes here and there, maybe caught a few spelling errors. . . and made sure the little shonen-ai scene was good. 

You gotta love the Karsh/Norris goodness. ^__^

On the l33t thing. . . er. . . I get the idea now, and it was something of a mix of several people's ideas. So. . . **too many people responded to this question with too many different kinds of responses to fairly choose a winner (or more). Sorry :(**

****

A general note for everyone: A number of you said the water slide was a cool thing. Well, it isn't my idea. It was implemented in _Chrono Trigger_ immediately after a boss called Heckran. The recommended team was Crono, Marle, and Lucca, since Heckran was weak against magic (Robo was the other available character, but, ah, Robo really didn't have much magic). They had to go through the cave from Medina to get to Truce, much like what the boys did. However, they landed south of the Zenan bridge, so wind resistance or whatever blew them off course. As another note, Heckran does make some cameos in Cross in the form of his bones ^_^ There will definitely be some trigger elements in this game, especially in terms of geography.

By the way, I think I have more review responses that actual story this time o.O

Crystal Cat-Chan: It isn't a bad thing! Honest! Eh. . . I dunno if I would personally want to go on that thing. Yeah, it sucks to be Norris. And yeah, my writer's block is lifting. And don't review my stories to the point where it kills you- dying is bad for your health.

Ex-SOLDIER girl: Okay, I will. And who doesn't love Karsh/Norris?

Uftaki: Well, I don't think Uftaki was overly excited about the update, neh? I'm glad you liked the pool and fight incidents. That fight was pretty funny. Glenn was sure a little smart-ass, though. He needs to grow up and stop crying, though. But hey, he's six years old. As far as no El Nido goes, there is going to be El Nido, but it's going to be in a different story that I need to work on more. Zappa needs to be a moody old man. And damn straight I know you aren't sorry! Especially after this chapter (Norris: Why do I get the feeling I'm going to end up being the Ryo to Karsh's Dee in the near future? And does that mean Glenn is suddenly going to become Bikky?). I already talked about l33t.

Angelus Errare: Tell me about it. And that probably isn't the last fight Karsh picks, either! Glenn as well! Er. . . Glenn attaching himself to Norris? Hold on *rereads chapter* Oh, okay, I see. And thanks for the comments on Glenn's characterization! Well, you see, Norris wasn't actually raped- Karsh did come to the rescue before anything TOO bad happened. Yes, it was probably traumatizing, but Nor has got bigger problems to worry about. But your guesses were close!!!

DevaGlenn: I know EXACTLY how you feel.

Alba: You just want to see them go at it, don't you? And yes, you won! Geez, calm down though. Don't get yourself killed over it, really. . . another good l33t thingy. And I will keep on going.

Lena: I responded to Lena with an e-mail, and I'm WAY not focused enough to respond to that right now anyways (I had a LONG day). Some highlights include: 

-We're going to shave Yohji's head and Lena is now a traitorous bitch

-The nickname I was referring to is "Sir Sexy" because Lena renamed all her character during one of her first run-throughs and she named Karsh "Sexy" and then people started calling him "Sir Sexy" in the game.

Kittee Amethyist: Chocolate is good. I like chocolate.

Tami: Indeed you won! Yes, high schools sucks royally. Most people would agree with you on that. I dunno, CC hasn't been going as strong as it was. . . summer of '02 was the most awesome time. Alba and I were churning out fics, SB-2 was still with us. . . good times, good times. What, you think Glenny isn't masculine? I'm glad you missed the fic. Don't worry, I don't remember and I'm too lazy to look it up. Thieving is going to be HARD to write until I really get into a routine for them. LOL! Yes, let's play everyone's favorite game: Traumatize Glenn! Karsh isn't exactly regressing, but Glenn is certainly growing up. He'll be clinging to Dario less and less as time goes on, and I'll probably have a scene somewhere that has Dario turning to Glenn for comfort. I read the next chapter in that, I just haven't sat down to review it yet. . . sorry tami-chan! Hey, epics take time and patience to write! My idea of a "novel" used to be a collection of short stories following the same sets of characters. I most certainly will!

Silver: Um, please, no violence. Oi. . . I already explained the l33t thing. TOO MANY EXPLANATIONS! I CAN'T DO IT! 

Dogcollar 1: Yup. Sure have.

Dogcollar 2: Yeah, normally I don't like to do that but for some reason I'm really interested in this one doing well. Yes, chapter updates are a pain. But I'll live.

Dogcollar 3: I have! It's a fun game- I like the characters in Cross better, though. One thing you need to understand is that even CC has a ton of Trigger factoids thrown in- big things like Kid's big sister, Lucca, (she was one of the playable characters in CT) and little things like Heckran bones. You can't go too far without finding a CT reference, and as a result a lot of fics have these elements, too. Alba's "Lost and Found" fic is LOADED with them. I beat Pokémon Blue and I've gotten to the last boss in Silver (Ash). I got really far in Spyro 2, but I had borrowed it from my cousin and had to return it. I've also beaten both Lunar games, CT and CC, a couple of NES games, Ocarina of Time, Pokémon Stadium, Kingdom Hearts, and some aspects of Pokémon SNAP! and Super Smash Brothers. Ouch- perhaps an investment in the form of a PS2 is in order! And trust me- I've seen longer reviews. Lena left one so big once it wouldn't fit in the review box and she had to e-mail me the rest! 

Dogcollar 4: Yeah. I'm a Glenn fan. Big time. Quite possibly one of the worst ones here. Ever.

Dogcollar 5: ^_^

Dogcollar 6: Yeah, life comes before writing. I have other commitments to attend to, not just writing. Well, different writers like different things. I'm not very comfortable with shorts at all- I like long, lengthy pieces. You know, epics or at least mini-epics. This I would count as an epic. Lena-chan is awesome! She gives great advice and helped out with this chapter. I think the error message affected me, actually- I didn't get an e-mail notification for a large number of your reviews, and that was most likely what happened. But it's not a problem.

Peachgirl1608: The thing about fanfiction writing is that some of the best pieces are about the side characters, not the main characters . Not to say there aren't some smashing Serge fics out there, but that's the trend I've found. There are some great fics about Karsh, Norris, Zoah, Razzly, Grobyc, and others out there that focus very little- if at all- on Serge. That's one of the beauties of fanfiction- you're exploring what the authors, directors, and other creative people didn't. That's just my opinion, though.

Gwenyver: Thank you! L33t was explained at the beginning, thank you very much.

Broken Miho: Ah, Nikki. It gets explained later, and he joins the group well before "game time". An easy way to figure out where you are in time is Glenn. Providing he doesn't have his twenty-first birthday before the end of the year Cross takes place in, we can assume he was born in the year 1000 A.D., the year Trigger took place. Cross takes place in 1020 A.D., when Glenn is twenty. Since Glenn is only about six at this point, it's only the year 1006 A.D., and since Nikki is roughly a year younger, he's five. Marcy hasn't even been born yet (she's ten years younger than Nikki), and since they have the same set of parents, then the tragedy that split the family up hasn't occurred yet. They COULD be on the Invincible, but that's up to speculation. I've gotten the basics of Kid's introduction almost nailed down, but Nikki is still somewhat up in the air as Plan A and Plan B interfere with some of my other ideas later on. I'll explain it when we cross that bridge. Yeah, some people do that. Though I often enjoy sub over dub, I use a lot of American names unless the names are so different you have to. In essence, TO and PT are the same thing in different languages. But my other obsession has two distinctive names- Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Japanese) and Ronin Warriors (English). The name change was over the existence of two similarly named shows at the time (Super Human _Samurai_ Cyber Squad and V.R. _Troopers_), but there are also a few plot differences. For example, birth order was screwed with, names were screwed with (save Ryo and, to a degree, Sage), the dubbers actually CREATED a character, and of course the language was toned down for younger audiences (the sub includes a few "damns" and a "go to hell"). 

Baka: I'm not sure what to make of this- correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds a LOT like an insult. Granted you said you liked the story, but me? See, aside from the fact you've already called yourself an idiot you didn't say much else.

Paladin Dragon: And I'm not? Don't worry about it- I have so many reviews for this chapter it's wild. Well, Glenn DOES have better stats that Karsh (aside from maybe magic). Karsh's main killer is his accuracy- compared the others, it's low. In fact, with two Einlanzers, Glenn's attack rating is HIGHER than Serge's, and as a rule of thumb video game main characters tend to have really bad-ass attack strength. Serge is no exception to this rule. 

Mikomi's Pen: Norris IS cool.

Shadow Weaver and Ikira: Trigger is a hard game to come by. You could try and get the PS version in a used game store (it comes as a dual game with FF4 in a package entitled "Final Fantasy Chronicles") or on the SNES version, which sells in the three-digit range on e-Bay, and this probably includes broken cartridges. Trigger is considered by many to be the best RPG of all time, even put up against titles such as Final Fantasy 7. If you want to know the Trigger plot, check out my favorite stories section- there's a novelization of the game included within. The author took a lot of poetic license with some of the humor and the main bridge between Trigger and Cross (Schala- they hated Cross), but aside from that it's relatively good. It also sheds some light on some of the inside jokes and plot points of Chrono Cross. Prometheus, Heckran, and the Masamune are all good examples. Aw, don't feel so bad about yourself. Writing takes practice. But I like the fact you think I'm well liked ^_^. 

Jasban: I'd comment but I have no idea what the hell you wrote except for "bravo", so I'm going to assume it was a compliment. 

~Dixxy


	8. Chapter Seven

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Seven

As luck would have it, their nameless captor chose to keep Karsh of all people locked up the next morning so he could take the remaining three out for their first "lesson". The three boys were feeling rather uneasy, each boy feeling greater anxiety reach its peak as they drew nearer and nearer to the town.

_What will Karsh think of me if he knew I was a thief?_ Norris wondered. It was slowly becoming evident to him and his purple haired friend that their friendship was blossoming into something more- perhaps they would be boyfriends, maybe one day lovers or even husbands if things went smoothly enough. A large pit was forming in his stomach, and he wanted to cry. He wanted to be with Karsh, although he imagined it would have been difficult for the brothers if one had been left behind.

Glenn was thinking a much different story. He couldn't understand why it hadn't been him who'd been left behind. Not that he wanted Dario, Karsh, and Norris to do all the dirty work for him, but he was much smaller, weaker, and younger than the other three. How could he possibly be a good choice to be a thief? He'd probably screw up, get caught, and get his hands and fingers chopped off. He whimpered from the mental image- he liked his hands and fingers where they were!

Dario was frantically thinking about a multitude of things, one of them similar to Norris' train of thought. _Riddel_. Though he'd been left little time to mull over his "girl back home", he did think about her and considered her to be one of his driving forces to get back home. And then there was his father- oh, what a fit his father would have pitched if he knew what kind of trouble he was in now! After today, he would probably never be accepted as even worthy enough to clean a Dragoon stable boy's boots let alone become a soldier. He was convinced his future was ruined.

Once they reached the outskirts of town, their captor stopped them. "Come back by a dusk, or the kid with the big mouth dies. Understood?" Dario, Glenn, and Norris nodded. The read bearded man was about to turn when Norris stopped him, a desperate, pleading look in his eyes.

"But we don't know what to do!" Norris pleaded.

The red bearded man scoffed. "That's your problem, not mine." He slapped Norris across the cheek for good measure, then walked away. Dario caught his friend before he hit the ground, Glenn hovering to make sure that the Porre was all right. Aside from seeming a little dizzy and pained, he seemed okay. As soon as he was on his feet, the boys huddled closer together (a small challenge considering Glenn's lack of height).

"We don't know how to steal!" Norris hissed.

Dario shook his head. "No. We do."

"What!" Glenn asked with wide eyes.

"How did we escape from Ozzie's manor? We stole all of our tools from him," Dario pointed out. He let this sink in before he continued. Norris and Glenn had to remember all of the smuggling and hiding they had done in the previous month to win their freedom. "We can do the same thing here, only these are people, not Mystics."

"How can you say that's the only difference!" asked Norris.

"Granted this is more for Red Beard's benefit than ours, think about it. The pressure hasn't changed intensity, because we could get killed- Karsh, too. We still have to do it under people's noses, only there's just a little less time. We also don't have much choice. I say we suck it up now and sort it out later. I know Curtis won't give a damn but our dad and Zappa will mount Red Beard's head on a plaque once they know what that man is doing."

Glenn frowned. "Can't we just tell someone?"  
"No- Red Beard might kill Karsh if he thinks we tried to turn him in," said Norris.

"And we can't do that to him," said Dario. Glenn nodded in understanding, looking at his feet. His brother gave him a reassuring hug, closing his eyes as he pressed the short, wiry body of his sibling into his chest. Glenn looked up, is lips pouting, but his eyes understanding.

* * *

Reasoning that it would be better to split up, Norris went off on his own while Dario stayed with Glenn. Norris was wandering through a farmer's market, trying to figure out what the easiest target would be. Folding his arms over his chest, he looked right and left as he evaluated his options.

Undoubtedly the market was a good place to start- food was a necessity, and if he found some good rum to snatch, maybe that would calm Red Beard down. Or get him really drunk and violent. But then again, failure to produce alcohol later on could get him even worse. . . Norris cursed at the catch twenty-two.

The market was nearly devoid of any actual buildings, consisting of mostly small shacks that stocked a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and meat products that lined both sides of a cobblestone road. The produce made a colorful rainbow of apples, pears, melons, tomatoes, potatoes, and leafy greens. Norris' nose picked up the smell of fresh baked goods, and his eyes confirmed this with a table next to a large stone oven where a chubby man dressed in white was removing a loaf of bread from a fire. A large shack nearby had a butcher hanging bright pink, red, and white cuts of beef and headless chickens plucked clean of their plumage. The only building in the entire area was what looked like a tavern at the very end of road. It wasn't very busy at that moment, but it would be busier later in the day.

_Busy. . ._ Norris thought. He snapped his fingers in realization. Of course! It would be madness to try and steal from someplace un-crowded- the vendors would be able to watch all of their patrons better and spot a thief easily. But if there was a crowded stand, it would be harder for something like that to be noticed. Veering off to the side, Norris scanned the area for someplace extra crowded.

A plump woman in a dull pink dress was having an argument with three of her patrons- an old man with a cane and a bushy beard, an aristocratic looking young woman with her hair in curls and braids, and a woman of similar build dressed in dull blue. The boy nodded his head- this looked like a good place to start.

Norris walked over to the shack, catching bits and pieces of the conversation. It sounded like a dog and a pig had made a mess of the blue woman's garden and the old man's living room. The young woman was the owner of the dog, and the pink woman owned the pig. Despite the fact the young woman and the vendor should have been on the same side, it appeared as if they weren't fond of each other at all and they two exchanged harsh words over the matter. Norris bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing.

Norris mentally went over his procedure to steal Ozzie's oils. He had tried to act calm and sincere, like he wasn't up to anything. Other times he would pocket small vials while looking like he was doing his work. So did that mean he could try the same stunt here?

Trying to act like he was examining an apple, Norris made his first theft.

* * *

Holding his brother's hand tightly in his hand, Dario looked around the street. This was clearly a residential area of Truce, being lined with cottages of all shapes and sizes separated by bushes or painted fences. It was very quiet, their only company consisting of a few stray cats and an old man out cold in a near-by lawn with a brandy bottle in his hand. Most of the people were out working or at the farmer's market, Dario guessed. That left the two brothers to their own devices.

Dario was trying to figure out what would be the best place to bring himself and a nervous six-year old to steal something, and he reasoned that a quieter neighborhood was the wisest choice. Fewer potential witnesses, and that much more room for the mistakes that he was positive they had the potential to make.

Glenn was chewing on his bottom lip, swinging his arms back and forth to try and calm his nerves. He'd seem a group of children around his age playing a few streets away. They'd all stopped to stare at him and Dario, their young eyes never leaving his cheek. Glenn tried to hide his face in Dario's shirt, not liking the unwanted attention directed at the x-shaped scar. Sensing his brother's unrest, Dario quickened his pace to get Glenn out of there.

Even though he'd been scarred around a year, this was the first time Glenn had ever been shunned by his peer group. Not like he'd had a chance to know otherwise – everyone was too concerned with their own well-being in Medina to really notice him, and since their escape they hadn't had much contact with any other people. Until that point, it had hardly occurred to Glenn just how scarred he was.

"This one."

The boys were rounding the corner to the back of a small, modest looking white cottage with a thatch roof and a flower garden in the back. Dario checked over his shoulders to make sure no one was watching, then helped Glenn jump the fence with the added aide of an empty wood crate. Dario sunk close to the ground, Glenn mimicking the action. Using the tall flowers as cover, the boys slowly crept closer and closer to the house.

Dario's plan was simple- if they could get to the house, they could sneak in through a lower-leveled window and then begin their dirty deed. As it appeared no one was home, this would make it that much simpler. "Let's just keep it to money or something we can easily hide – nothing big that would cause suspicion, all right?

Glenn, however, had a different idea after he looked around. He tugged on his brother's shirt and pointed. "Um, Dario? Can I ask you a question?" Dario looked down at his brother and nodded, though he looked around nervously. He didn't want to waste anytime answering Glenn's juvenile questions. "Do you think we should choose a different house?"

"What? Why! We just got to this one!" Dario said.

"But I don't think that doggy likes us very much."

Dario's eyes widened as he heard a VERY large dog behind him.

"Glenn. . . stay calm. . . don't get scared. . . oh, who am I kidding? RUN!"

Glenn did exactly as he was told, and on a sudden kick of adrenaline the two boys were soon careening back down the street they had come from, trying not to scream as the dog began to chase them, barking loudly, snapping his jaw, and sending drool everywhere.

* * *

Karsh groaned in frustration, still trying to fruitlessly remove the rope that bound his hands to the pipe in the dark, smelly basement of Red Beard's house. Of course he wasn't having any luck – their captor was a drunk, but we wasn't an ineptly _stupid_ drunk. He knew that if Karsh got away, then all four boys would be free to get as far away from that house as they could.

Red Beard didn't want that.

"Lazy bastard," he muttered to himself.

From up above, he could hear voices – one of them was Red Beard's, and the others sounded like Norris'. Karsh swallowed – Norris was back. Feeling relieved, the captive relaxed a little. He had been worried about his friends getting caught – not only would his own life be jeopardized, but the safety of his friends would be in danger as well.

The door of the basement opened, and he heard rough, loud steps as Red Beard clamored down the stairs. He could also hear Norris crying out about something, and looked up to see his friend (and perhaps more) was being dragged down the steps faster than he could keep up. Karsh glared, but he wasn't sure if Red Beard could see the dirty look.

Norris was roughly tossed down near Karsh as Red Beard produced more rope with which he bound Norris to the same pipe. Norris stayed quiet as this was done, for he and Karsh both knew what Red Beard's purpose was. Once he was done, Red Beard clamored back up stairs, presumably to drink even more.

"Are ye okay?"

"I think so," said Norris. "Red Beard was a little rough bringing me down here, but he seemed happy with what I brought back." He winced. "Of all the things I wanted to do to survive out here, I did NOT want to do THAT. I'm. . . I'm a thief! A dirty, lowe-down scoundrel thief!"

Karsh sighed. "Norris, ye didn't 'ave a choice. Dun worry – we'll figure some way out of this. After all, we got away from Ozzie, didn't we? And Ozzie had guards en a lot more than this fat ass 'as," he said. He tried to slide closer to Norris, who looked over at him in shame. He moved his arm back, and then tried to give Norris an awkward elbow hug to comfort him. Seeing what he was trying to do, Norris, simply smiled and rested his head on the other's shoulder. The blonde squeezed the other boy's hands, and Karsh felt his cheeks redden.

"Thank you, Karsh. That made me feel better."

"Not a problem."

The two sat in silence for a long time, listening to the quiet that had suddenly overtaken the basement. Even though both were tied up and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the brothers, it wasn't quite so bad. At least they were alone and it was an opportunity for them to be alone, especially where as they were trying to sort out their feelings for each other.

"Hey, Karsh?" Norris said.  
"Yes?"

"Do you think we're gay?"

Karsh almost laughed, but realized the same question was going through his own head. "Dinnae know. Hard to say, really. After all. . . how are we? Twelve and thirteen? Is tha too young to know fer sure? Aye know aye care about ye, but. . . gee, aye dinnae know how we'll-"

Karsh didn't need to finish that thought before Norris reached over and kissed him. Karsh's eyes flew open in shock, then slowly closed as he understood what Norris was doing. Talking wouldn't get them anywhere. No. This was the only way to know for sure how they felt about each other.

And with that kiss, as doubt was erased from Karsh's mind.

* * *

It took me FOR-EV-ER to find a way to finish this chapter – special thanks to Triple C for the idea!

By the way, you guys should all investigate Just Another World, a message board that's just barely starting to take off. Currently we're residing at the same address listed in my profile, but we'll be moving shortly to a new, ad-free location. Here's some of the stuff you guys might likes:

The Curtis Torture Pit (or 1,001 Ways to Destroy Curtis) Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross riddles Arguments over the finer points of game plots Dixxy's Café Au Latte (which includes sneak previews of my fanfics as well as open discussion about any of my fics you want) Everything from crazy theories about Dalton to a poll about Glenn's true hair color 

We're always looking for new members so come on by, sign up, and join the party! Triple C and I have several long-standing conversations going on at the same time (which explains our astronomical post counts. . .) and it's a LOT of fun.

For those of you who may have followed my Lunar story _The Sliders Series_, I'm scrapping it and re-starting it new as a giant multi-author collaboration. If you're interested in writing a chapter or two or you just want to see what it's all about, please leave your e-mail address in your review and I can send you the details.

Other than that, I've decided that for now I'm going to stop responding to specific reviews for this story because of how many reviews I'm getting. I will, however, make note of major questions that seemed to pop up a lot, answer any questions posted on Just Another World, and individual e-mails. But in the interest of getting material out, I've made this call. Instead we'll now have a "general response" section.

Karsh/Norris: Currently, these two are only at a shounen-ai stage. They're not full-blown lovers just yet (believe me, you'll know when that happens). It's more of a "puppy love" stage right now. But by the time they're in their twenties they'll be settled in much like a married couple (i.e. Karsh screws up, Norris makes him sleep on the couch). And yes, I know they kissed but in some cultures a kiss isn't as big a deal as it is in Western society.

Dixxy


	9. Chapter Eight

Thick as Thieves  
By Dixxy   
Chapter Eight: Change of Fate

_Three years later. . .   
_  
Glenn sighed, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the afternoon sun and its gentle caress. It was a nice day. He was lying down in the cool, wet grass, feeling the soft blades between his fingers as he absently pulled at the green carpet of the world. He opened his eyes, stared at the clouds above, and wondered why his life sucked so badly.   
It had now been four long, hellish years since the incident with Curtis in Porre. Even though they had escaped from that fairly easily, Glenn and his friends had spent the past four years enslaved by two different masters. Truth be told, he wasn't sure who was worse – the Mystics or Red Beard. He supposed each had their good and bad points with one similarity between them – they wouldn't let them go.  
But it really didn't matter, Glenn mused. No matter whom they escaped from or how they survived. . . it was over anyways. They'd probably be picked up by a new slave-driver and spend the rest of their lives working against their will for causes they didnd't believe in.

And that wasn't even the worst of it, in Glenn's opinion. No. Something far worse had been announced and thinking of his sometimes made him sick to his stomach. News traveled quickly on the Zenan continent, and some pretty devastating news had arrived earlier that week.  
Of course, when Glenn metaphorically removed himself from the situation, the decision made a lot of sense. Even though he knew that Karsh and Dario were probably punching walls and possibly crying when they thought no one was looking, they probably drew the same conclusion he did. There was no other choice in the matter. What had to be done was done.  
The world could be broken down in large countries and small countries. Porre controlled three of the four large countries – Choras, Guardia, and, of course, Porre itself. Only Medina was untouched by Porre. Sometimes, Glenn wondered if that was true or not. It was possible Medina agreed to cooperate with Porre in exchange for their POWs. That would mean Porre had some control in Medina, if only by a technicality.  
That left smaller countries. Though many of the smaller countries could hold the land mass of El Nido five times old, El Nido would be one of the hardest for Porre to invade and take over. General Viper didn't have a whole lot of land, but he did have an advantage – the entire archipelago was surrounded by not only the ocean but also a ring of mountains with only one gap large enough for a ship to pass through. There would be no way Porre could possibly get its fleet to the shores of Termina fast enough to launch a successful attack. Each ship would be taken out by the Dragoons before reinforcements could arrive.

Any attack would have to come from the inside. Porre soldiers would have to filter into the country in small numbers. Once they had enough soldiers inside, then they would be able to hold off the Dragoons long enough for their ships to dock and begin their assault. Risky, yes, but still very much doable if the Porres knew what they were doing.

That was exactly why General Viper was having huge walls constructed in any of the gaps surrounding the archipelago's natural fortress. He was isolating his country from the rest of the world. There was no other choice. El Nido had the resources to survive on its own for a very long time. It was unknown when the barriers would be torn down – surely the island nation couldn't survive on its own forever? - but for now, El Nido was not an option for anyone trying to escape the wrath of Porre.

Glenn still found the idea depressing – this meant he would be stuck on Zenan for a very long time. Although he still had Dario, Karsh, and Norris, he had been cut off from his home. His father, Riddel, Radius, Zappa, Zippa, Viper, and everyone he loved was, in a sense, gone.

Sadly, this wasn't his biggest problem. Red Beard was.

It seemed odd that after three years of captivity he still hadn't given them his name. He didn't quite understand this. But that didn't make him any less merciless in his methods. One of the boys was always left behind – if anything went wrong, then that boys was going to die. All four of his captives had grown close out of this – no one wanted to be the one to cause a fatality. Dario and himself were brothers. Karsh and Dario were best friends.

_Karsh_ _and Norris. . ._

Well, Glenn wasn't sure what to make of that. For one, he wasn't sure if Dario knew anything, and he felt this was one thing he shouldn't divulge to his brother. This seemed like something personal for those two, and Glenn had no right to confront them about it or tell anyone else.

It had happened one year ago. Due to a rather nasty accident in the basement, Red Beard was forced to keep his captives on one of the upper stories of the house four nights in a row. It had been Glenn's night to be the captive, and he was tied to a chair near a window. This wasn't such a bad situation – he was uncomfortable, but he could look outside and there was a pleasant breeze that evening. So it wasn't too bad.

About an hour for the "deadline" (a word that was even more vicious when taking all things into consideration), he said Karsh and Norris returning at about the same time. There was no surprise here – they usually returned together when he or Dario was the captive. What surprised Glenn, however, was that they were holding hands.

And then he saw Karsh lean over to kiss Norris.

Glenn was young, true, but after spending three years training as a thief under some fairly vulgar conditions, he wasn't naïve. He knew a few terms for it, most more vulgar than others, but after seeing that kiss, he was almost positive Karsh and Norris were gay and in love. That had been one dynamic he wasn't sure existed between four boys – romantic love – but that wasn't some peck on the cheek.

His life was so complicated.

"SQUIRT!"

Glenn groaned – that was right. He was the captive today. He was only outside because Red Beard found it too hot inside the house and wanted to keep an eye on him. He knew Glenn wouldn't run – especially since he had tied his feet and hands to four pegs pounded into the ground.

"Squirt! Time to go!" Red Beard bellowed. "It's almost time for the other little idiots to be back!"

Glenn held back his tongue. He HATED that nickname.

While Red Beard cut his bonds loose, Glenn heard several yells. He couldn't sit up to see, but he knew the cries belonged to Karsh and Dario. Something was wrong. Norris' voice was absent, which must have meant something happened to him. What if the Porres found him, or he'd been caught stealing? Once his second hand was free, he bolted upright to see what was going one.

What he saw frightened him.

It had been a very nasty fight. Dario's shirt was badly ripped and tattered from a mix of tears and slashes – a red gash ran down his shoulder blade, staining the shirt into a grisly crimson brown. His lip was swollen and his left eye was sporting a rather large shiner.

Karsh was favoring his right ankle, which looked like it might have been twisted. His long, purple hair looked as if a cat had just played with it – clearly it had been cut and pulled. Glenn could see his teeth were slightly pink and outlined in red. His stomach turned at the thought of being so badly hurt in the mouth.

But neither of them looked as bad as Norris looked.

Norris was unconscious and lying in Karsh's arms. He had a bad wound on his side that, even though it had been somewhat bandaged, didn't appear to be stopping. His body was covered in blue and black bruises, making it obvious who had taken the brunt of the beating. His breathing was slow and labored, and Glenn was afraid that he might be looking at a dying boy. Instinctively, he screamed.

Red Beard held him back. "Where's the loot?" he asked.

"Are you blind?" asked Karsh. "We got caught by an older gang – they kicked our asses and Norris is almost dead and they took all our stuff! We have to get him help before we can get our stuff back! Please! Just let us switch out Glenn for Norris for a few days! Norris is in no shape to work! He's going to die if we don't do something!"

Red Beard looked at Karsh, then down at Norris. "So you don't have any loot," he said.

"How can you be so insensitive?" Karsh screamed. "He's gonna die!"

"No, no he won't," said Red Beard. He cut the last of Glenn's ankles free, yanked the child up, and began to give orders. "He's a good kid – quick, smart, and silent. Bring him back to the house – I've got some Nocturnes that'll heal him up nice and quick. He'll be good as new by the morning."

"Nocturnes?" said Dario, his eyes widening in surprise. "From El Nido?"

"Damn Viper cut us off from getting new elements, but the ones already here work just fine – now get off your lazy asses and bring that kid back to the house! I am NOT loosing him! You hear me? GET A MOVE ON!" Without any more questions, Dario and Karsh quickly got back to Red Beard's hideout, hoping that they would get there in time to save their friend.

Even with Norris' safety assured, Glenn still had a funny feeling this wasn't over.

* * *

Late that night, Norris was sleeping soundly in bed, his wounds healed and his condition greatly improved. Karsh had insisted on spending the night by his friend's side to make sure he didn't suddenly get worse. Glenn and Dario were locked in separate rooms – that worried the younger brother. Why was he being kept separate from his brother? Red Beard only kept them separate when one of them was sick and he didn't want the other to be infected.

Of course, whenever Red Beard did something out of character it usually wasn't a very good sign for any of them. Often times it meant he was up to something that would only end in one of them getting hurt or on the edge of a lot of trouble - some of Red Beard's wild ideas had come close to costing him his fingers on more than one occasion.

Of course he hadn't done anything quite this odd yet. Mostly his strange behavior was the result of a new brand of whiskey, and Red Beard had been having his usual for the past month. Further more, there was no odd demands this time, like stealing live chickens (fun, but too noisy to be practical) or getting to the expensive jewelry of Porre military wives.

Glenn sat on the edge of the cot that served as this night's bed, wondering if Dario was as worried as he was. This was the first time anyone had ever failed to satisfy Red Beard. Would he stay true to his words and kill that night's captive? This was a do or die night for everyone involved, especially for Glenn. If Red Beard was true to his word, Glenn would sleep in his final resting place tonight. If he was not, Red Beard might find himself with four thieves who no longer took him seriously.

Glenn felt his stomach drop to the floor when he heard the door open. He froze in place as Red Beard came in, kicking the door closed behind him and brandishing a length of rope. The boy felt his heart begin to beat faster, but his body refused to move away from the impending danger. His eyes remained locked on the man he unwillingly served, terrified of what would happen next.

_MOVE, STUPID!_

Something inside of him finally snapped to attention and Glenn scrambled under the bed, desperate to find a way to escape. There had to be a place to hide from Red Beard! He couldn't die yet! He was too young to die! He was going to live! He was going to find a way back to El Nido! He and Dario and Karsh and Norris were all going to go home and grow up and be happy again! He couldn't die like this!

He let out a horrible cry as he felt Red Beard grab his ankle and drag him out from under the cot. He tried to dig his nails into the floorboards, feeling splits and nail rip open the tender flesh of his finger tips. He howled in pain and terror, still crying hysterically as, even through his pain, he continued to try and claw away from Red Beard.

But it was to no avail as he was hoisted over the larger man's shoulder and carried out of the house, Dario yelling after them and threatening the life of their captor from behind a locked door. But even as Glenn continued to sob, Red Beard made no further attempt to retaliate against the older brother.

This was it.

He was going to die.

* * *

Dario pounded his fists against the wall of the room he was imprisoned in, screaming for his younger brother. He clawed at the walls, desperate to reach his younger brother. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! HE'S NINE YEARS OLD!" He slammed one of his fists into the wall, splintering the old wood and cutting his hand, but not tearing down the wall separating him from his brother and the would-be-murderer. "HE'S JUST A KID! TAKE ME INSTEAD! TAKE ME INSTEAD!"

But Red Beard wasn't listening. He was hell bent on his evil mission to kill Glenn, and there was very little Dari could do. He swore, cursed, kicked, and punched at the wall, trying anything he thought he could do to stop this massacre from happening to his little brother.

When he heard Glenn's cries get farther and farther away, followed by the slamming of the front door, he knew it would be over soon. Even if he could get out, now there was no way he'd be able to find Glenn in time. He slid to the floor, putting his hands over his now nauseated stomach.

_I was supposed to protect him,_ Dario thought with tears in his eyes. He wiped the tears away, biting his bottom lip in an attempt to stop crying. _He's my little brother. After all these years of saving him from Porre and being hurt too badly by the Mystics, he dies. He's going to die. By the White dragon he's going to die!_

_It's._ _. . all. . . their. . . fault. . .

* * *

_

Karsh stared in disbelief at the door, listening to the faint sounds of Glenn's screams of terror as Red Beard took him away to do the unthinkable to the group's smallest. He sat on Norris' bed, a pit growing in his stomach. He felt physically ill and wanted to throw up at the thought of what was about to happen.

"Karsh. . ."

"Not now, Norris. You know this is our fault," he said softly. Norris had reached out and touched his hand, but Karsh pulled it away. "Glenn's going to die and it's because of the two of us." He bent his head in shame, running his hands through his hair. "Norris, this is a mistake."

Norris sat up, wincing in pain from his still healing wounds. "Those other boys were just ignorant, that's all. They see something different, feel threatened by it, and attack. We haven't done anything wrong." He reached out to touch Karsh's shoulders. "I know, sometimes even I find it a bit strange that I'm doing this with another boy. But I don't care about that. What I care about is YOU."

Karsh snorted. "I know you don't care about Curtis, but what about your mother? What would she say if she knew about this?" he asked. "I know my parents would pitch a fit. The only reason I'm doing this is because. . . well. . . you know. . . but that's not the point. Aren't we supposed to get married to women some day and have kids or something?"

"That's not what's important to me," said Norris. He glared at Karsh. "And I can't believe you're saying all of this. You're just saying this because those stupid idiots saw you kissing me in the alley. You were fine this morning, and the day before that, and every day since you kissed me back in the cave three years ago!"

"And look what it's done to us now! Glenn's good as dead, Red Beard's gonna be even more strict with us, and Dario – by the Green Dragon Dario is going to be crushed! It's his little brother! Do you know how many times I've seen him staring up at the stars promising to their dead mother that he would take care of him and now THIS happens!" Karsh snapped.

"Look, maybe it's selfish of me to be with the boy I love but I don't care about that! If I was so worried that I was going to get beat up like this I would have never returned any of the feelings you KNOW you have for me! I'm NOT afraid of that and I'm certainly not afraid of Red Beard! Here I am lying in this bed with bones that were broken just hours earlier and bruises that are about as blue as my eyes!" Norris snapped. He sighed and turned away. "We can't argue like this, anyways. If we're ever going to get out of here. . . we have to stick together. Dario, too."

"But what about Glenn?" asked Karsh.

"I know. . . he's like a little brother to me, too. But there's nothing we can do about that right now. The door's locked, none of us including Dario is strong enough to break down the door, and who knows? Glenn's a pretty smart kid – he's not dead yet and he just might yet be able to get away from Red Beard – maybe even get help for the rest of us."

"How can you guarantee that?" asked Karsh. "Even if he did get away, Glenn's still a kid – there's more than just Red Beard out there." He turned to Norris. "Things are only getting worse for us right now. Glenn's going to be killed, Dario's got to hate both of us right about now – I KNOW he heard those dumbasses calling us names – and who knows what Red Beard's gonna do to us when he gets back."

Painful as it was, Norris shimmied closer to Karsh, resting his head on his shoulder. "That's why we all need to support each other as much as we can. You and I support each other in this way, and we both support Dario as our friend. I know it'll be tough for him to start talking to us again after this, but we have to make him realize that none of us are going to get anywhere if we just fight."

Karsh looked at the ceiling. "He's going to be angry. He's going to want to hurt someone. Maybe you for making me fall for you. Maybe Red Beard for killing Glenn. Who the hell knows what he's thinking right now?" he sighed, and turned to Norris. "But I think you're right. I'm sorry I said those things earlier, but this might not work if bad things keep happening like this."

Norris weakly smiled, tears flowing from the corners of his eyes. "I miss Glenn."

Karsh leaned in to hug Norris, cradling his injured body in his arms. "So do I."

* * *

Over an hour later, Glenn and Red Beard were deep the woods. Glenn had stopped crying a while ago, but he was still upset. _I'm going to die. This man is going to kill me. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. By the Green Dragon I'm going to die._

Red Beard threw him harshly only to the ground and immediately pressed a knee into his back. Glenn cried out in pain. It was a painful sensation, only compounding by the roughness he had experienced on their way to where they were now. It had been a far from comfortable ride - tree branches had scrapped mercilessly at his skin, a few loose leaves and twigs undoubtedly tangled in his hair by that time.

He heard his captor breathing deeply above him, menacingly telling him what would happen next. "I won't be the one who kills you. . . per se," said Red Beard quietly. He heard the unsheathing of a knife and Glenn, by pure instinct alone, began to scramble again. If only he could worm out from under his captor's knee. . . then maybe. . . just maybe. . .

But, surprisingly, the knife didn't stab him. Instead, Red Beard made two very shallow, almost painless slices on his shoulder blades. They still stung like crazy, but it wasn't the horrible sensation he had anticipated. It wasn't even as bad as when that bastard of a Porre commander had kidnapped four years ago. What the hell kind of murder attempt was this? Glenn certainly didn't consider himself an expert on how to kill people but he knew that you had to stab someone a lot harder than that to even seriously wound them.

But as Red Beard ripped the back of his shirt open and his felt the warm liquid run from the incision, it slowly began to dawn on Glenn exactly what was happening and Red Beard made even more shallow wounds across his skin. Red Beard hadn't lied - that man wouldn't be dealing the final blow.

No.

A wild animal who smelled his blood would be looking for a meal.

"I can't wait to tell your brother and his friends about how you're going to suffer," said Red Beard, who was now tying his hands behind his back. "You see. . . animals can smell blood even if they're far away from where the crimson drips." In the distance, Glenn could hear a wolf's howl, and he instantly froze in place. "Good. You might as well go into shock now – it'll be less painful that way. Just look at it this way - after this I'm sure they won't mess up again, so they probably won't share your fate. Rest easy - that's the last pleasant thought you'll ever have."

He heard Red Beard stand, and the crunching of leaves indicated that he was leaving. With the man gone, Glenn began to cry again. Now he was going to die for sure. He was going to be a nice, meaty little meal for some lucky bastard of a wolf or bear, and he couldn't get away. Even if he could free himself, would he be able to outrun such a beast?

He didn't think he could.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE #1

I will no longer have long winded author's notes leading up to review responses because they are no longer allowed. Author's Notes are now specifically for clarifications on character quotes or my interpretation of the cultures existing in El Nido, Porre, ect.

AUTHOR'S NOTE #2.a

You may have noticed that occasionally in any of my stories a character will say, for example, "By the Green Dragon!" or something like that. They always refer to a specific Dragon God. The reasoning? Since we know very little about El Nido's religious beliefs aside from the fact they have six Dragon Gods, I've decided that a person hails a specific dragon as their "patron dragon" based on their innate color. For an easy example, Serge would have the White Dragon as his patron god.

AUTHOR'S NOTE #2.b

Playing off the last note, this chapter Dario refers to the White Dragon as his patron dragon. In a few stories, possibly including Memories, I refer to him as a black innate in reference to the optional boss fight. I've decided to change that for this story.

During the game, Dario was influenced by the Masamune – an evil sword. We don't know if his innate was affected by the Masamune or not – he could very easily be any of the other five colors when he's not possessed by an evil sword. So, I've decided to make him naturally born as a white innate.


	10. Chapter Nine

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy

Chapter Nine: Exodus

_One week later. . ._

There was no mistaking it – Dario was an emotional mess.

Of course, Karsh and Norris couldn't blame him; he'd just lost his baby brother and was forced to continue working for Glenn's murderer. How else was he supposed to act? Happy? Of course not. But both of them were caught on what they should do about the situation themselves.

On the one hand, Dario needed emotional support. He'd suffered a heavy blow and it was going to take him a long time to mourn. Right now, more than ever, he needed his friends to lean on, cry with, and talk to. That's how they'd all gotten by since they left Porre. Under any other circumstance, that would have been the automatic reaction.

But on the other hand, it was arguably their fault that Glenn was killed. The day it happened, Dario was off on his own to try and con some older couples out of a few pieces of gold while Karsh and Norris decided to try and work together to gain a better profit. It had worked before – one of them would distract someone by inquiring about a lost dog that didn't exist while the other picked their pockets for treasures. It was a good team effort, and something they did almost every time they were both out.

But after getting a particularly handsome profit that afternoon, the two began to count their loot in a back alley when Karsh leaned over and kissed Norris. Norris blushed and shied away, noting that they were in public. The older of the two took his hands, looked him in the eyes, and promptly informed him that he didn't care.

And then Karsh pushed Norris gently up against the brick walls of the building and kissed him again – this time on the lips and a little bit more passionately. Norris wanted to protest at first, but decided there was no point in arguing – Karsh had a way of being very direct wherever he was involved and he saw no reason to stop him.

But then they heard the whistles and laughter of the street gang whose alley they had invaded and decided to use as a love nest. Ten men surrounded them, holding clubs and brass knuckles in their hands as they stared menacingly at them. Karsh knew that this was not going to end well and tried to find a quick escape route – but they were surrounded by brick walls and a small army of gang members.

Escape was not going to be an option.

This wasn't to say they hadn't fought back – they did – but they were more than outnumbered and easily defeated. Norris, whom the gang perceived as the "woman", was beaten particularly severely while Karsh screamed in protest, giving the gang a few battle scars in the process.

That was when their friend found the fight.

Dario tried to come to the rescue, bearing a knife in one hand that he used to get in a nice hit on the leader's shoulder. This got them even more angry, one shouting why Dario would want to protect a couple of. . . well, Karsh didn't have the cleanest mouth in the world but he took personal offense to the colorful vocabulary being used to describe himself and Norris. But the accusations were more than enough to stun Dario into submission, resulting in his beating and the theft of their loot.

Then Red Beard killed Glenn.

And now Karsh and Norris found themselves at a loss for ideas.

"I wish he would talk to us again," Karsh said glumly one night, nestling his head by Norris'. Dario was sleeping in the room he used to share with Glenn while the remaining boys were in their room – the result of many dirty looks from an emotionally distraught and disgusted Dario. Although there were two beds and they usually slept separately, it wasn't that uncommon for the two to spend time together cuddling on one of the beds before settling down for the night.

As of late, they took to sleeping in the same bed just to be close to anyone – their relationship wasn't even a factor at that point (although, as it was, neither one felt ready to take "the next step" so sleeping together was, at this point, not a very big deal). With a member of their group dead and another pissed off, it was no wonder they were seeking constant solace in each other. The only reason they were able to get away with it was Red Beard's habit of waking them up with a knock instead of barging straight into the room. Otherwise there would have probably been a serious problem.

"I know – I do, too," said Norris. "But what can we do?"

"Hope he got away and found someplace safe," said Karsh.

"He would have come home pissed off if Glenn got away."

"Maybe he only hurt him enough to knock him out and assumed he was dead – then he just had to get up and walk away or call for help if he couldn't get up," said Karsh. "Or maybe someone found him right away and he was still breathing, so they ran and got a doctor or something and saved him."

"I'd like to believe that, too, but somehow I doubt it," said Norris. He sighed. "There's really nothing we can do for Glenn, now. We have to worry about Dario. If he survived, Glenn's a smart kid – he'll find a way to keep his ass out of trouble. If anything his experience with Curtis taught him how to watch out for the weirdos."

Karsh bit his lip at the mention of Norris' father – it was a sore subject for all of them. For Karsh, Dario, and Glenn (assuming he was alive) this was the man who got them into the mess of never being able to go home. For Norris, it was the man he felt betrayed him by not being the honorable and upstanding person he originally thought he was.

"Perhaps we should just get some sleep," said Karsh, pulling Norris a little closer. "Stayin' up late won't do us any good." He saw that Norris was nodding, gripping his arm a little tighter. "Tomorrow Dario and I are supposed to be heading out. I'll. . . I'll try and talk to him."

"I think he hates us."

* * *

"Dario. . . please."

It was the evening, and Karsh and Dario were returning from Truce with the day's loot – Karsh had gotten a couple of bottles of Red Beard's favorite whiskey, and Dario had gotten some jewelry that would sell for a lot once it was fenced. Karsh was trying unsuccessfully to get Dario to talk to him. Instead, Dario had a blank look on his face as he walked towards the house, much like he had been doing since Glenn's death.

Karsh sighed. "Dario. . . I don't know what to say."

Dario turned to face Karsh and gave him a cold stare. "I have nothing to say."

"You just did."

"Shut up."

Karsh gulped, shook his head, and narrowed his eyes. "Dario, giving me and Norris the silent treatment isn't going to bring Glenn back – we miss him too, you know! And I'm sorry if our relationship is bothering you, but it just kind of happened that way! You and Glenn were always together and that left the two of us to stick together and this just happens to be how our relationship turned out!"

"Well, if you two stopped acting like a couple of queers Glenn wouldn't be dead!"

Karsh grabbed Dario's shoulder and slammed him into a nearby tree – his friend didn't flinch. "Look. We're sorry about what happened to Glenn, but we didn't kill him. We didn't ask that gang to steal our loot, and we didn't tell Red Beard to kill Glenn. Sure, maybe we made mistake in the alley but I am in love with him, and nothing you can say or do is going to change that!"

Dario shoved Karsh away and started walking quickly back towards the house. Karsh sighed in exasperation – there was no getting through to him – at least, not then. He was still too hurt. _He needs more time to mourn – he's not ready to face us yet. But he can't do this forever, either._

The house was in sight now, and Karsh picked up his pace to a jog, noting with confusion that Dario was just standing in the doorway. _Huh? Why hasn't he gone inside yet?_ Karsh thought with confusion. When he saw Dario's bag drop, he realized something was very wrong – he started to run towards the house.

"Dario! What's wrong?"

Karsh skidded to a stop behind Dario and looked over his shoulder to see Red Beard lying on the floor. His eyes widened as he saw pink chunks coming from out of his mouth and mixing with his ragged beard and spilling onto the floor – his eyes were glossed over, and he wasn't moving. "By the Green dragon. . . is he. . .?"

"Dead?" asked Dario. He stepped forward and knelt down, looking at Red Beard more closely. "He isn't breathing," he said, then pressed a finger to their captor's forhead. "And his body is cold – unless he just took an ice bath, he's not alive and I'd say he's been dead for a while."

"He must've passed out and choked on his own barf," said Karsh, stepping closer to the corpse. He cringed at the smell and sight. "That's disgusting. I think I'm gonna puke." He stepped away, covering his mouth and nose with his hand. "Aw man, that's so nasty."

"But. . . we're free."

Karsh mulled this thought over in his head. Dario was right. With Red Beard dead, there was nothing holding them back anymore. His eyes lit up. "We're. . . free." He stepped back and started to laugh. "We're actually free of this miserable bastard! We're free! We're FREE!" He jumped a little and gave out a whoop. He paused, then smiled. "I'm gonna go get Norris!" He gave Dario a reassuring smile before running to the basement to free his lover.

He was already calling out by the time he reached the basement door, so deliriously happy at his newfound freedom. "Norris! NORRIS! YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS!" Karsh opened the door to the basement and burst down to the stairs to see Norris looking at him in confusion.

"You're in a good mood. What happened?" asked Norris, a bit confused as to why Karsh was the one coming to get him and not Red Beard. As Karsh began to untie him and kiss him alternatively, Norris tried to move away. "Uh, uh – tell me what's going on, first!"

"He's dead!"

Norris frowned. "We kind of figured that out already."

Karsh shook his head. "Red Beard. He's dead."

"What!?"

"It looks like he choked on his own barf! We're free!" Karsh said, planting a big kiss on Norris' lips. Norris' eyes remained open as he processed this news and Karsh pulled away. "What's wrong? Norris. . . it's over. We don't have to do this anymore. We're FREE."

"But at the cost of someone else's life," said Norris.

Karsh sighed, loosening what remained on Norris' bonds. "Well, yeah, but. . . there was no other way we would be free of him anytime soon. And it's not like we killed him – he did that to himself. We have nothing to feel guilty about," he said. He took Norris' hands. "We're free."

Norris smiled. "I guess you're right."

"C'mon, let's go upstairs, get Dario, and get the hell out of here!" Karsh said, helping Norris off the ground as the two ran upstairs. "Dario! C'mon, let's get out of here and onto freedom!" He called, laughing. "The old bastard is dead and we're never going to have to deal with him ever again!"

As they started towards the room where Karsh had left Dario and Red Beard's body, Karsh was left with an eerie silence. "Why isn't Dario talking?" asked Norris. Karsh shrugged, still to ecstatic over his newfound freedom. "Karsh. . ."

Karsh didn't respond until they found Red Beard's body alone and a note tacked onto the wall. Karsh paused, then stepped over the body to where the note was. Norris keep looking between the dead body and his lover, who pulled the note off the wall and was reading it silently.

"What's it say?" asked Norris.

"Dario. . . isn't coming with us."

* * *

_I'm sorry Karsh. . . I know it wasn't your fault. . . I just can't. . ._

Dario watched from a safe distance as Karsh and Norris left Red Beard's house, holding each other's hands as they ran towards who knew where. Dario sat down when he could no longer see them. Eventually someone might find Red Beard's body and do something with it – what, he really didn't care, as long as he didn't have to worry about it, and Karsh and Norris would hopefully find someplace to be safe and happy.

Deep down, Dario knew damn will that what happened to Glenn wasn't Karsh and Norris' fault. But as much as he knew that, part of him, a darker part of him, still blamed them for his little brother's death, and he was afraid that darker part of him would try and hurt his friends. He needed more time to come to terms with what happened – then maybe he could try and find them some day and they could all be friends again.

But for the moment, he couldn't be with them. Not right now. They were better off if he wasn't around for the time being. Karsh and Norris were pretty smart – they'd figure out something, and they had each other. Dario smiled – the two of them would be just fine.

Question was, what was he going to do with himself in the meantime? He was fifteen years old and had no idea what he was going to do next. The only skills he really had was some basic sword training and, well, his skills as a thief, but that wouldn't exactly be of use to impress any potential masters to apprentice under. So now, he really had no where to go.

Sighing, Dario started to walk away from where his only friends had gone.

* * *

_Stupid mutt._

Lucca Ashtear sat up in bed, glaring between her dog and the clock on her bed stand. The clock told her it was four in the morning - in other words, she should be sleeping. Her dog, on the other hand, was frantically racing between her bed and the open door of her bedroom, panicky and yipping loudly to get her attention. He put his front paws on her bed and barked in her face. Lucca waved him away,

"You! Shut up! You're going to wake the whole house up!" she hissed. The dog refused to stop, continuing his mad race between the bed and the door. Grunting, Lucca swung her legs over the side of the bed, put on her glasses, and put her feet into her slippers. She yawned and glared at the dog. "I don't know what you want but unless it's good you're not getting any doggy treats for a whole month. Do we understand each other, Trappy?"

The dog raced out into the hallway and sat at the top of the stares, staring at her impatiently and slapping his tail on the floor. Yawning again as she grabbed her bathrobe, Lucca followed her dog into the hallway, down the stairs, and into the main room, right to the - much to her chargin - OPEN front door.

She paused.

_The front door. . . IS OPEN!?_

When one was the proprietor of their own orphanage, things such as open front doors were not good things. "Did one of the children get out of the house!?" Lucca asked. The dog turned and bolted outside, across the bridge, and into the woods surrounding the lake without so much as a bark. Now she was concerned - this was serious (and for that matter Trappy was off the hook and getting a big steak for dinner that evening)! There were wild animals in the forest and if one of the children wandered out in the middle of the night she might never find them again! She paused only long enough to grab a flashlight before running after the dog in a burst of worry.

Shinning the flash light around the woods, calling out for the children. "Hello! Children!? Are any of you out there!? Please, answer me!?" She looked around frantically – she would never forgive herself if one of the children was hurt. Her heart raced. "Is anyone out there?!"

"SISTER! SISTER, SISTER!"

Lucca knew that voice - it was one of the children, and that little girl was going to be in HUGE trouble when she got a hold of her. _Kid knows better than to run outside in the middle of the night! What is with that girl?! She's never done this before! _"STAY WHERE YOU ARE, KID! KEEP CALLING ME! I'M GOING TO COME AND GET YOU SO DON'T WANDER OFF! YOU'LL BE JUST FINE SO DON'T BE SCARED, OKAY!?"

"He's hurt!" cried the little voice.

_. . . he?_

Confused, she continued to make her way towards the voice until she came apon a small patch in the woods with no bushes or large tree branches on the ground. She was relieved to see her little charge sitting on the ground with a toy kitty cat by her face and the dog by her side. Kid seemed safe and apparently unharmed, but was looking up at her with worried eyes.

Lucca was horrified to see the limp body lying before the child, barely moving and obviously unconscious. She knelt down and soon realized it was a boy no older than nine or ten - tied up and apparently left for dead. She felt a surge of anger shoot through her veins - how dare someone do this to a poor child!

"Is he gonna be okay, Sister?" the little girl asked, edging closer to the woman she called her big sister. Kid sniffled a little. "Trappy started barking from outside and I wanted to see what he wanted and then he showed me this boy and he's hurt and-"

"It's all right - we're going to help him."

* * *

Did you miss me?

I know it's been a long while, but one of the big reasons for my absence was a kind of severe emotional/anxiety problem. I started having some issues with ethics that just kept spreading and spreading I'm doing much better thanks to my counselor at school, the doctor who gave me prozac, and certain friends more than others. 2006 was just not a very good year for me in some aspects. 2007 has been better in most aspects. Other stuff happened, too, but I'm a lot less crazy now.

So, sorry about the delay. I think I've got this chapter about where I want it (initially the last bit was to start the next chapter, but I decided to be nice and give you guys a little bit of relief instead).

The next "arc" of the story has the group separated and doing different things. I haven't quite decided what I'm doing with Karsh and Norris (I do have something specific in mind for Norris but I don't know if I want to go that route quite yet), but I do know what I'm doing with Dario.

Dixxy


	11. Chapter Ten

Thick as Thieves  
By Dixxy  
Chapter Ten: Change of Fate

"Bo-oy!"

Glenn grimaced, tried to open his eyes, and saw a peach, blue and yellow blurry object in his line of sight. He thought about this for a while. This wasn't the woods Red Beard had left him in. And he didn't feel any sort of pain - in fact, he felt comfortable and clean, like he'd recently had a bath. He came up with what he felt was the only logical conclusion:

"I must be dead or something."

At the sound of the word "dead", the blurry figure above him squealed and disappeared, only to be replaced by a pale, yellow brown that simply would not end in any direction. Funny. He didn't think death would look like that. His mother had told him as a child that heaven was white and blue, and the other place was red and dark. This was neither. So where was he?

He blinked and sat himself up. As his vision came into focus, it became clear that he was very NOT dead. He was in a small bedroom, wearing a new night shirt in a big bed with white sheets. There was a red rug on the floor surrounding the bed, and country pink curtains framing a window overlooking a field of green and a river. In the corner, Glenn saw what had been the mysterious blob from earlier – it was a little girl, probably younger than he was. She was staring at him with big blue eyes and a wide, frightened look on her face. She was visibly shaken, but would not take her eyes off of him for a second.

Glenn was confounded. He was supposed to be dead - but he guessed he wasn't - and now he was in a room with a terrified little girl. _How did THAT happen? What the hell is going on? _Glenn opened his mouth to try and say something, but promptly closed it. He wasn't sure what to say. Instead, he just stared back at her, wondering what he was going to do next.

Finally after their starring contest continued with no change, Glenn mustered up a question. "Did I scare you?" he asked. "I'm sorry if I did." He sat up, crawled the foot of the bed, and leaned against the oak. The little girl seemed a little less frightened and stood up, shuffling her feet over to where he stood. Neither child took their eyes off the other, each unsure of what the other might do.

The little girl he was staring at was small and skinny, but she didn't seen to be starving. Her blue overalls (which were just slightly too big for her as one strap hung loosely at her side) looked fairly new and she was carrying a well-loved but clearly mended stuffed cat doll. Her long blonde hair was tied in a pony tail with a red ribbon to match her shirt, and her blue eyes were big, bright, and wide. Glenn guessed she was only about three or four years old.

But what was she doing here? More importantly, what was HE doing here?

"So. . . you aren't dead?" she asked.

Before Glenn could say anything else, a woman briskly came into the room. The little girl looked up at her, pointed at him, and announced that he was awake. The woman immediately turned to Glenn and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness you're all right – when we found you a few nights ago you were bleeding and you'd gone into shock and you'd lost so much blood – oh deary we're just glad you're all right!" The strange woman immediately embraced him, though Glenn wasn't sure why.

"Who are you?" asked Glenn. "What's going on?"

The woman looked at him and smiled. Glenn couldn't help but smile back. She was still fairly young – twenty-something – and had a youthful, short purple haircut and thick glasses that made her look like a scholar of some sort. None the less, this woman was radiating with warmth and friendliness that, after being exposed to nothing but fear and cruelty for the past several years, Glenn relished in it. "The children here call me 'Sister' or 'Sis' for short. But if you'd like, my given name is Lucca."

Glenn stared at the woman. "I don't understand."

Somehow sensing that he was no longer a threat, the little girl had discarded the doll, crawled onto the bed near Lucca and was now staring at Glenn with only a few particles of space between their noses. "Lucca is our Big Sister. There's lots of us here, and you're our newest mate!" Without warning, the little blonde girl immediately hugged him. "You can play with us whenever you want now."

"Kid, back off him for a second! He's been through a tough ordeal! Left in woods with those cuts on his back – why don't you run off and play with the other children for a little while I talk to this one for a bit, hmm? I'll bring you cookies later," Lucca said sweetly. Kid's eyes lit up and she bounced away at the promise of cookies, stopping only once to turn around and retrieve her cat toy.

Lucca watched the little girl run out of the room, then returned her attention to her patient. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about you except what we found – you were hurt, wearing dirty clothes, and tied up. Someone left you for dead and I want to know who you are, who did this to you, and what's happened."

Glenn bit his bottom lip. Although this woman seemed nice enough, was he SURE he could trust her? After he said nothing for a solid minute, the woman removed her glasses and placed them in his hand. "You don't trust me, do you?" she said. "I can't see a thing without my glasses – right now, you are the one in control of this situation. Can you trust me now that I'm at your mercy?"

"I don't know," he said.

"Well, it's a start," she said. "Can you tell me your name?"

Glenn paused to think before deciding to consent to her request. "It's Glenn – Glenn with two N's. Some people only spell it with one N and that's kind of annoying sometimes," he said. Lucca smiled at him, closing her eyes and blindly reaching for him. She found his shoulder and kept her hand there.

"Glenn. I like that name."

"With two N's," he said.

"Mmm hmm. I knew a Glenn a long, long time ago," she said. "Do you have a last name?"

Glenn shook his head. Sometimes back in El Nido he knew his family had been referred to as the Einlanzer clan, but it wasn't the family name – his family had no name. That was unusual, considering that most families of note had a name. "No, sorry. We never had a name."

"That's all right," she said. "Do you know where you mommy and daddy are?"

That question hurt, and Glenn looked down at the sheets.

"All right, I won't talk about that. Can you at least tell me how you ended up in the woods?" she asked. "Someone had to have tied you up and cut you with that knife – was it the same person who did this to your face?" Lucca reached over to gently touch the scarred cheek – Glenn backed away.

"I don't like people to touch my scar," he said.

"How long have you had it?"

"About four years."

Lucca frowned. "Was it the same person who left you in the woods?"

"How do you know someone did this to me?"

"Someone so young doesn't get a mark like that on accident," she said.

"It was a different person," he said softly.

Lucca placed her hand on his head and gently ruffled to the pale blonde locks. "You've been through a tough time, haven't you?" she said. Glenn nodded, now fighting back tears. This woman was going to help him. She didn't even know him that well and here she was going to do something about what had happened to him from the time Curtis kidnapped him. Lucca gently brushed some hair out of his face and he immediately broke down, crying into the arms of a woman he would call his Big Sister.

* * *

Days passed, and soon enough Glenn was on his feet and walking about the house with his own power. Though he still felt edgy with Miss Lucca's hospitality (for some reason, Glenn felt compelled to call the woman "Miss" despite her protests to just be called "Lucca"), it was a nice change of pace. The house was a pleasant place to be – there wasn't much, granted, but something about the interior lined with children's toys and the sound of shrieking toddlers playing outside was comforting to Glenn.

The first few days he spent out of bed he spent sitting in a chair by a window in the main room of the house, gazing outside at the younger children playing with their dog, Trappy, and inventing games of pretend that he imagined he had played when he was their age. He stayed quiet most of the time, only leaving his seat to use the bathroom, eat, and sleep.

It wasn't so much from laziness that he did so little, but rather it was from uncertainty. It had been four years since he had found himself in a friendly situation and he felt like he'd forgotten how to handle himself. This was no longer a matter of doing everything he could to survive – survival wasn't even an issue in this place. He didn't have to think on his feet to keep Miss Lucca from hitting him or worse, he was always well-fed, and, as strange of a sensation as it was, he got the idea that maybe the people here cared about him.

He also desperately missed his brother, Karsh, and Norris. Glenn knew they assumed he was dead, but he was too terrified to try and find them. There was no telling what Red Beard might do if he learned that his plan to kill him had failed. He could end up hurting Dario or his other friends, and Glenn didn't want that to happen. So he stayed put and decided it would be best if he didn't try to find them.

_Besides, _ he reasoned with himself, _I was able to let go of Mommy and Daddy. I can let go of Dario, Karsh, and Norris, too, can't I? It'll be hard but I can do it. I've done it before and I'll do it again. Yup, I'm just going to leave them all behind. I don't have to worry about them and they can just think I'm dead like Daddy thinks I'm dead._

But no matter how hard he tried to move on, the thought would often lead him to start crying, especially in his bed at night. Truth was, even though he knew it would cause trouble, he desperately wanted to see Dario and Karsh and Norris and tell them he was okay. He'd been rescued by Miss Lucca and he was going to be all right.

But then Red Beard would probably kill them, and this time he wouldn't be stupid enough to let a wild animal do the job for him. A knife to the throat or a gun to the head would guarantee death. Suffering would come if he forced the others to watch. He would always shudder at the thought and try to think of something else.

One day, while sitting in his chair contemplating the children outside, he heard another seat pull up next to him. He turned his head and saw Lucca sitting across from him, a smile gracing her lips but a look of concern in her eyes. "Miss Lucca?" he asked. "Is there something you need?"

"Why do you isolate yourself?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why don't you play with the other children? I know you're older than them, but they always ask about you," she said calmly. "I'm concerned as well. You don't do anything but sit in that chair all day and stare at the other children." Lucca stood and walked over to him, placing a hand on his forehead. "You don't seem to be sick."

"I'm just thinking, that's all," Glenn responded.

"About what?"

"A lot of things," he said. He turned away.

Lucca sighed and sat back down. "I know you don't like to talk about your past, but you know I won't hurt you. I think you at least understand that much. I know I can't force you to play with the other children, but I'm still concerned. You're still so young – you should be outside playing or climbing trees or something. You're acting like an old man but you're only a child. Why?"

"I don't think I'm a child," Glenn said, blinking in surprise as the words came out of his mouth. _I. . . don't think I'm a child? How did I come up with that idea? It doesn't make any sense! _He turned to Lucca, frowning. "I don't know why I just said that, Miss Lucca. It doesn't make any sense."

"Well, any of the children could tell you that you've led a difficult life," she said. "It's probably forced you to grow up a little too quickly." Lucca reached over to him and took one of his hands between hers. "But you've still got a chance to be a kid. How old are you now? Ten? Twelve?"

"Nine," he said. "I'll be ten in a couple of months, though."

Lucca looked at him in surprise, readjusting her glasses. "You really are mature for your age," she said with a sigh. She crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. "Well, perhaps this isn't such a bad thing, you know?" She pushed her glasses further up her nose, closing her eyes as she began to think.

"How so?" Glenn asked.

"My parents are getting older – they used to help a lot with the other children, but it's getting to be too much for them to keep up with. Right now it's basically just me and sometimes Trappy keeping an eye on them, making sure they stay out of trouble," she said. She smiled. "Another person to help me out would be very useful."

Now Lucca had Glenn's full attention. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I respect that you don't have much desire to play with the other children – they are much younger than you are and you have had a hard life. But if you watch them all the time – it would be a big help to me if you would go outside with them and kept watch out there," she said. "Maybe with time you'll find yourself playing tag with them."

Glenn considered this idea. Solely on the fact that Lucca was asking him to do this and not demanding it of him made it all the more appealing. But what if the children were all afraid of him? He did have that nasty scar on his face, and the little experience he had with other kids was not very good.

At that exact instant, Kid stepped inside, still dragging her stuffed toy. She had a pout on her face as she stomped across the living room, her eyes locked on Glenn. Glenn was confused – Kid was only five years old, the smallest of the children even though a few were younger than she was, and rarely looked the slightest bit upset. Why she suddenly seemed to be angry with him he didn't know.

Kid halted before Glenn, reaching out to grab his hand. He stared at her in surprise, unsure of what was happening. "Why won't you come outside and play with us?" she asked. She pouted, looking up at him with a big smile. "You're not hurt anymore – it's okay to go out and play. Will you please come out and play with us? We'll be nice," she offered.

Glenn stared at her in disbelief before dumbly nodding. Kid squealed with delight and quickly took off, failing to let go of his hand. Lucca laughed as Glenn was dragged away by the much smaller girl. He stared back at the orphanage's big sister, who just smiled and nodded at him to continue.

* * *

Several hours later, right around sunset, most of the children had gathered in a large pile of grubby hands and feet to take a nap. A few snored, sucked their thumbs, or mumbled incoherent babblings in their sleep. Glenn sat nearby, his knees to his chest as he watched them in amazement.

_They're all so happy here. . . they're lucky,_ he thought, looking down at where his hands were intertwined. _I've been through so much crap. . . and these children have been through a lot, too, but they're at peace here, even with their parents dead and the country taken over by Porre. . . how can they do it? _

Kid, being Kid, wasn't asleep – instead, she was sitting next to Glenn and watching him intently. "I'm glad you decided to come play with us today," she said. She folded her arms and leaned into his shoulder, resting her head. "It's nice when we get more playmates, but it's always sad, too, because they never come from happy places."

Glenn shook his head. "No, I guess I didn't come from a very happy place – at least, not immediately," he said. "The man who tried to kill me. . . is a very bad man. And even before then I wasn't with good people. It's been a long time since I've been with my parents. . ."

"Are they dead?" asked Kid.

"My mom died when I was five, and a few months later my brother, a friend of mine and I were separated from my dad and his parents – I think my dad's still alive but. . . it was four years ago. You probably can't even remember that far back. And there was a war involved, so it's possible he died in battle."

Kid put a hand on his shoulder. "You have us."

Glenn nodded. "No offense, but, it's not the same." He sighed. "I just got pulled away from my older brother and two friends, too. And I don't think it's safe for me to go back – I could get hurt even worse, or one of them might get hurt. It's kinda risky, you know? This is probably the best place for me to be – it's a place for me to start over. I can help Lucca take care of your kids because I'm a little older than most of you

Kid hugged him. "Well, if you want you can marry me and I could be your wife."

"WHAT!?"

Kid frowned. "What?"

Flustered, Glenn tried to think of the best way to respond to a marriage proposal from a five year old. "Um. . . look. It's not you at all, but. . . I'm nine, you're five. We've got our whole lives ahead of us to think about marriage and families and what-not. We aren't ready for that kind of thing yet."

Kid stared at him blankly. "No."

"Kid, I-"

"We're playing wedding tomorrow and I'm the bride! You be the groom!"

Glenn laughed. "Sure. I'll play with you guys."  
"Yay!" Kid squealed in excitement, kissed Glenn's cheek, and started running back to the house. He reached up to touch his cheek and blushed. That was the first girl to kiss him who wasn't his mother, Zippa, or Riddel (none of whom "counted" in his opinion). It wasn't on the lips, and he wasn't sure if this counted, but Glenn watched her run back into the house and was lost in thought.

* * *

Author's Notes

Okay, so normally I'm a fan of Gleena, but I do have a soft spot for the very rarely used but still kinda cute Glid (although admitedly it's probably one of those "would never happen in canon EVER" pairings, considering Kid kinda chases Glenn off and away from the party if you choose the "Save Kid" path in the game).

Or you're Lena Ban Obsidian and you can make stranger pairings, like Karsh/Miki work.

Anyways, I wanted to comment that, one, thank you for the reviews and the kind words where they were given. Two, I made a decision that there will be more than just the initial six joining the Radical Dreamers. Six is an awfully small number for the kind of stuff they're pulling when they get older, so some other characters – all canon – will be joining their ranks. Canon? Yes. Recruit-able? Maybe (at least one is – technically – NOT a recruit-able character). Am I going to list them before hand? Not likely.

Dixxy


	12. Chapter Eleven

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Eleven: The Mad Griffon

After a few days of wandering, Dario found himself sitting in a small tavern called _The Mad Griffon _with a mug of cider and the clothes on his back. He didn't feel much better, and he still didn't want to try and find Karsh and Norris. If he ran into either one of them. . . he'd probably just keep walking.

_I said some horrible things to them. . . but for now. . . here I am._

His cruel words to the only people on the damn continent who probably gave half a damn about him were eating away at him. If Karsh truly felt that strongly about Norris, well, other males weren't his taste, but it really wasn't any of his business. Dario rationalized that, since they were lovers, they would stick together and probably turn out okay.

And Karsh was right – though the four of them had stuck together, he had spent a lot of time with Glenn, and that did leave the other two by themselves a lot. Now, with Glenn gone, he wasn't sure if what was left of their group would work. Besides, Karsh and Norris probably needed alone time – or at least time away from someone who had said such horrible things to them.

The tavern Dario was now sitting in was a nice, quiet little place. A fat, sleeping man sat by the door, his head tucked into the rolls of his neck fat, and a girl around his age with bouncy blond curls was bustling between the tables, taking orders for hungry customers. A middle aged man in the corner was leading a small band in a lively tune that an older couple was dancing to. Dario smiled – something about seeing two old people still in love made him feel happy.

"You've barely touched your cider – is everything all right?"

Dario was surprised to see the waitress was sitting across the table from him, looking at him with curious brown eyes. He had her hands neatly folded in front of her and was waiting patiently for his answer. _I wonder why she's so concerned about me. I've never even met her before. _"Beg your pardon?" he asked.

"The cider – is it all right? Would you like me to get you something else?"

"No, no, it's fine," said Dario, knocking back the stein to make his point.

"What an odd fellow," she said. "I was worried you didn't like it."

Dario put the stein down, shaking his head. "I'm sorry to upset you, ma'am."

"I made it myself," she said, twirling some of her curls. "It was my mother's recipe. A family secret." She sighed. "It was my first time trying, and I'm afraid I've been overly worried that I made it wrong all night." She gently took the stein from Dario and took a delicate sip.

"Did you?" he asked.

The waitress bit her bottom lip. "It could use a little more cinnamon, but everything else tastes about right," she said. She gave the mug back to Dario. "You're new around here, aren't you? Mostly we get regulars here, and I haven't seen your around before."

Dario nodded. "My name is Dario," he said.

"I'm Rachel Sparks – my father owns _The Mad Griffon_."

"It's a lovely establishment," said Dario.

Rachel smiled, crossing her legs. "Well, I hope you come back."

Dario grinned. "I'll have to come back for when you've got the cider just right – not that there's anything wrong with it now," he said with a teasing smile. Dario closed his eyes to take another swig, swirling it around in his mouth. "It's sweet, but not overly sweet. Kind of reminds me of my mother's cooking."

"Oh?" asked Rachel. "And what would she say to that?"

Dario sighed. "Can't ask her – she died when I was eleven."

Rachel frowned. "My mum died when I was young, too – my condolences."

"Mine as well," he said. "Was it the war?"

The waitress nodded slowly. "Yes. She was a nurse for the Guardia Army and contracted an infection from one of the wounded soldiers. She was gone a week later," she said. "But, she loved being a nurse, and she was very passionate about helping those poor soldiers. I think she was proud of the way she went, even if it was much too soon."

Dario sighed. "My mother mysteriously fell ill one day – my brother and I were in town shopping with her when she collapsed without warning. She was sick for a while, and she finally died with me and my brother at her side. My father was getting her water, and I think he still probably regrets not getting it to her in time, even if it was just to say goodbye."

"I'm sure she wasn't mad – he was trying the best he could."

Dario shook his head. "Yes, yes he was." He cleared his throat. "But, knowing how mothers are, I think they would both be upset with us if they saw us moping about them. They gave us our lives to live them, not to mourn their passings. So let's not dwell on their deaths."

"I suppose you're right," said Rachel.

"Are there any other waitresses on?" asked Dario.

"Yes. . ." she said slowly.

"The let me buy you a drink," he said, gesturing to his mug. "Although I found nothing wrong with your cider, as it is very, very good, it's been a difficult month for me, and I enjoyed having someone to talk to. You've been wonderful company and it's the least I can do for you."

Rachel was about to answer when there was a scream from the front door. Dario turned to the front door to see several patrons had been pushed aside as a group of about five rough looking men wielding knives plowed into the tavern. "Give us all your grog, your women, and your gil!" one of them demanded.

_Bandits!_ Dario thought in alarm.

Mr. Sparks came out from behind the bar, his knees knocking together in fright. "Please. . . please leave us alone. . ." he begged. The bandits all paused, and the tavern went silent as they stared at the bartender. Then, they all erupted into fits of guffawing laughter at the weak attempt at defense.

"Father!" Rachel screamed, running to her father's aide.

"Rachel, what are you doing!?" Dario asked.

Rachel stood in front of her father, her arms out as she tried to protect him. "Leave my father alone!" she demanded, getting even more laughter out of the bandits as the supposed ringleader, a man with a large nose and a scar running down his face, poked the tip of his knife at her bosom.

"Oh, you want us to leave your precious Daddy-kins alone?" he sneered. Rachel glared at the bandit, somehow managing to hold her ground. He snickered, licking his lips. "Well then, little lady, let's make a deal – you spend the night entertaining me and my boys, and we'll let your Daddy-kins go."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

All eyes in the tavern turned to Dario, who was standing on the table. "Who are you?" asked the bandit leader. He roughly pushed Rachel into her father and advanced towards Dario. "You look like some scrawny kid to me. Do you have any idea who we are? Any idea who you're picking a fight with?"

Dario smiled. "Not a clue."

"WHY YOU LITTLE - !? WE'RE THE BANDIT BROTHERS, AND I'M THEIR LEADER, FRANCIS THE FURIOUS! WE'VE KILLED MORE MEN THEN THIS BAR HAD PATRONS AND HAD MORE WOMEN THAN YOU CAN COUNT! AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO – WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING!?"

"'Francis the Furious'?" Dario said, laughing. "Your name is 'Francis'? Really?"

"SHUT UP!" Francis yelled. "GET HIM!"

Dario back-flipped off the table as they all launched towards it, landing awkwardly on the table behind him between the elderly couple. "Terribly sorry, sir, madame," he said, scrambling off the table. He grabbed an unoccupied chair, the only nearby thing he could possibly use as a weapon, and made his stand.

One of Francis' henchmen launched himself at the teenager, and Dario swatted him away with the chair, sending him flying into a wall. A shield hanging on the wall fell onto his head, and he made no further attempt to get up or attack. _That's one down, four to go._

One guy with a sword and a knife came at Dario, yelling as he intended to impale him. Rachel screamed, but Dario ducked out of the way and slid to the side, keeping one leg in the bandit's path so the man tripped himself up, sending his sword flying into the air. Gracefully, Dario caught the blade.

"Okay, there's still three of us and one of him! ATTACK!" shouted Francis.

Unfortunately for Francis and his remaining minions, Dario was the son of a Dragoon. And as the son of a Dragoon, he had received not only beginner's training from the Dragoons, but also some natural talent courtesy of his father. And despite being separated from his homeland for so long, he'd been practicing.

Without shedding any blood, Dario knocked all three bandits to the ground and held the tip of the sword to Francis' neck. "Get out of here," he said coldly. He pushed the blade a little closer to Francis' neck. "And don't even come back here. I won't be so nice next time around."

Francis made a high pitched screaming noise as he tried to scramble away from him, peed his pants, and promptly ran out of the tavern, his (conscious) men trailing behind him with similar screams of terror. Dario relaxed, putting the chair down and dropping the sword.

As soon as the door was slammed shut, the tavern was in an uproar.

The next thing Dario knew, he was lifted up by the patrons of the tavern, who were carrying him over to Mr. Sparks and Rachel amongst cheers of celebration. He was gently lowered down before the tavern owner, who was hugging Rachel tightly and looking at him very, very fondly.

"Thank you, young man," he said. "We would have never gotten rid of them."

Dario blushed. "But, ah, don't you have a bouncer?" he said meekly.

Mr. Sparks glared and looked to the door, where the sleeping fat man looked none the wiser to the events that had just unfolded. "He slept through the entire ordeal – just like he always does. That useless sack of lard drinks himself to stupor before the sun sets and does NOTHING!"

A couple of patrons looked at each other, nodded, and lifted the fat man's chair – him still in it – and brought the chair outside. They came back in, dusting off their hands and looking to Mr. Sparks for approval. The older man nodded at t the young men, and turned to Dario.

"Would you like a job, young man?"

* * *

Author's Notes 

All in favor of Francis returning as the de facto comedy relief villain say "ay".

Yeah, this chapter was a LITTLE short, but I felt like this was a better stopping point for the chapter.

The roster of the future band of thieves is getting quite large. 17 canons and an OC – the OC will make sense when he/she/it appears.

This chapter begins a sort of "break" from bad stuff happening to the core characters. Glenn's got the orphanage, Dario has a steady job, and the next chapter should have a Karsh and Norris focus once I figure out how to handle it (as there is some "bad stuff" for Norris but generally speaking it ends with a "happy" situation).

At some point soon, I'm going to start filling in some of the blanks from the people in El Nido's perspectives – especially Garai. For now, let's just say that the butterfly effect has effectively kept him alive.

-Dixxy


	13. Chapter Twelve

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Twelve: The Rain

Several Months Later

"Happy Birthday, Karsh!"

Karsh opened his eyes as Norris walked from the oven to the table of their tiny one-room apartment, a smile on his face and a birthday cake in his hands. As the blonde sat down across from his boyfriend, he pushed the cake forward. "You're seventeen – how's that feel?"

"Meh," he said. "Same as sixteen." He grabbed the knife and cut into the cake. He closed his eyes and inhaled. The cake was a rich chocolate with a hint of raspberry. He looked at Norris, raising a teasing eyebrow. "Did you make this? It smells great. I didn't think you knew how to make this kind of stuff."

"I got some help from my boss' wife – she's a bit more aware of us than her husband and thinks we're an 'adorable couple' and offered to help me out when I mentioned your birthday was coming up," said Norris. He frowned. "Are you insulting my cooking, Karsh? Because as I recall you ENJOYED that roasted chicken last night-"

"What? No!" Karsh insisted. "You usually don't bake – it's why I asked."

Norris calmed down as Karsh passed him a slice. "It was nice of her to help."

"Yeah, it was."

"Especially with the way things have been going lately. We're not getting as many customers as we used to," he said. Norris worked in a repair shop, where he was happily learning to repair various items of all shapes and sizes. Though he and his co-workers liked to pretend it was because nothing was breaking, there was an unspoken understanding that it was because fewer and fewer people could afford to get appliances fixed.

Which is why Norris had the time to help bake a birthday cake.

Karsh felt sorry for his boyfriend, wondering how long it would be before Norris was out of a job. At least the local blacksmith offered steady work. It wasn't great money, but it was enough, and it wasn't as much of a luxury thing as Norris' work – sure, some things had to be repaired, like clocks and watches, but other gadgets they handled were luxury items, and those extra employees would be disappearing as the orders for those kinds of items started to disappear.

Still, it meant he got to crawl into THEIR bed with Norris every night, cuddle up close, and go to sleep in THEIR apartment. Although they kept themselves in a low profile (their last public display of affection had ended catastrophically), they finally got a chance to just be a couple and do normal couple things.

Although loosing the brothers had been difficult, they were able to pull themselves together. Norris found his job as a repairman and Karsh was easily able to get a job working in a local forge. Shortly after they were able to buy the apartment and, even though it wasn't much – just a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom, really – it was theirs, and it was honest.

Karsh reached across the table and took Norris' hand. "So after this, want some dessert?" he raised an eyebrow seductively. Maybe now that it was his birthday. . . just maybe now he could coax Norris into their bed for more than just cuddling. After all it had been several months that they'd really been able to be comfortable with their relationship. . .

Norris batted his hand away. "I told you – I'm not ready yet."

Karsh slumped in his chair. "Norris. . ."

Norris calmly chewed on a piece of cake. "I'll let you know."

Karsh sighed, sticking his tongue out. "Really? After all this time?"

Norris frowned. "Karsh, I love you. You know that. And I want the first time we make love to be special. And I just don't think it'll be special if I don't. . ." he looked away, and Karsh leaned across the table to grab his hand. Norris looked at Karsh, who was smiling at him.

"It's all right. I know – you're still afraid of him," he said softly. "Tonight, let's just eat some birthday cake, okay?" Norris nodded as Karsh kissed his hand. "If I have to wait a thousand years I will." He frowned. "Just, ah, you know. . . don't take that too literally, okay?"

Norris slapped his hand. "Karsh. . . eat your cake."

"I haven't seen a pocket watch this nice in a while!"

The proud owner of the watch smiled brightly. "It was grandfather's! I suppose you could say it's a family heirloom, it's just. . . I don't know what I did to it." He sighed, reaching around to his wallet for money. "It's a shame it's ceased to work. Think you can fix it young man?"

Norris unscrewed the back of the pocket watch. He inspected it, hummed a little, and grinned. "Oh, I see it now – it just needs to have a few of the internal cogs and springs replaced, that's all – this'll be an easy repair." He looked up at the customer. "The only thing that's happened to this watch is time itself – you did say it belonged to your grandfather."

"That's it?"  
"That's it. I wouldn't charge more than two hundred gold for this job."

"Two hundred? That's so cheap!"

Norris shrugged, walking to the supply cabinet behind the counter. "I can have this done in about ten minutes easy," he said. He squatted, looking for the right parts. "Let's see. . . we're low on springs but I should have enough to get the watch working again – I'll need to get Bart to buy more soon."

"But you do have enough for the watch?"  
"I don't have much to spare, but yes, yes I do."

Norris set the watch on the counter and began to remove and replace parts. The owner watched intently. "You're acting like this is nothing! You sure you know what you're doing?" Norris nodded, biting his bottom lip as he popped a cog out of place and replaced it with a new one.

He twirled the old part between his fingers. "You've got some rusting on this – try to keep the watch away from moisture in the future. Don't get me wrong though – it took a while for it to get THIS rusty but it'll last a little longer if keep an eye on the metal," said Norris.

"Do you specialize in clockwork?"  
Norris shook his head. "No, not really. I like to do a little bit of everything – I've handled firearms, clocks, pocket watches, simple motors, I worked on a printing press last week and someone brought in a big loom the week before that – that was fun. I actually wouldn't mind someone bringing in something electronic – it's so new that we haven't seen it much around here and I really, REALLY want to play with some."

". . . where did you learn to fix all that?"

"He just goes ahead and does it."

Norris turned his head to see Bartholomew Jenkins, the owner of the repair shop, standing behind him. He placed a hand on his shoulder and beamed. "This kid a was a lucky find. He's just so dang GOOD at fixing stuff and figuring out what the problem is – he hasn't turned down a project yet! I'll be very upset if he leaves my services any time soon." He grinned. "I'd especially like it if he took me up on my offer to take my daughter out for a night on the town."

"Bart. . ."

"Ah, trying to keep the business in the family?"

Norris kept a sigh and a rolling of his eyes to himself – he wasn't very interested in Bart's daughter. She wasn't ugly or anything – she did have these nice, big green eyes – but he already had Karsh. Still, he wasn't quite sure how to break it to his employer that he was involved with a man just yet.

As the owner and the pocket watch owner continued to talk, Norris spotted a man by the door watching them closely. He was about in his forties or so and looked a bit weathered around the edges. Not exactly one of the rich people who usually frequented the shop – must've been a mercenary or someone who desperately needed something done.

The man spotted Norris watching him. Their eyes locked and he noticed the man sneer. Norris swallowed – maybe this was someone he had swindled while still working for Red Beard. He bit the inside of his bottom lip as the man left the repair shop, still shooting him dirty glances even as he was shutting the door behind him.

"You okay, Norris?" Bart patted his shoulder, jarring Norris' attention.

"Uh, sir?" That wasn't the best answer he'd given his employer.

Bart laughed. "Just finish the job, okay?" He patted Norris on the shoulder and walked off while his customer continued to praise his wide range of repairshop expertise. Norris nodded and gave him distant responses – their patron didn't seem to notice because he kept rambling anyways.

He couldn't get his mind off that man. . .

"Karsh?"

Karsh opened one eye and grunted. It was the middle of the night. What did Norris want? He had to get up early to go to work, too, didn't he? He looked over at his boyfriend, who was clinging to him a bit more than usual. His head was nuzzled against his shoulder and he seemed a little worried.

"Are you okay?"

"Someone was staring at me at work today."

Karsh shrugged. "I hate to break it to you, but you're kinda hot."

Norris looked up at Karsh with furrowed eyebrows. "Not THAT kind of look!"

"Did you break someone's egg timer or something?"

The blond shook his head. "I didn't recognize him. But he did look kinda angry."

Karsh sat up. "You don't think it was one of the guys we ripped off?"  
"I thought that, too, but I have no way of knowing, really," said Norris. He was now sitting up, and he was starting to get a bit of a panicked look in his eyes. "I mean, Red Beard made us steal a lot – I didn't keep track of everyone!" He swallowed. "I never wanted to be a thief. I thought that was over and now-"

"Calm down, okay?" Karsh kissed the worried blond. "Did he say anything?"

"No."

"I wouldn't worry about it for now, okay? Maybe it wasn't you he was looking at, maybe he felt you guys charged too much and wanted to find another repair shop, maybe he was upset because the tailor screwed up the stitching on his pants, or maybe he was just an asshole." He hugged Norris. "Let's just get some sleep, okay?"

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I think so. I don't know for sure, but I know worrying about it won't do you any good. Okay?" He flopped down on the bed. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to have a lot of horseshoes to pound at in the morning and I need my rest for that. But if that guy comes back, point him out to me and I'll rough him up for you, okay?"  
"I don't need you to beat someone up for me."

"Who said anything about you needing it?"

Norris sighed, laying down next to Karsh. "In case you forgot, I'm a boy, too."

"You have a distinct lack of boobs, yes."

"Then could you remember that every time you want to treat me like a girl?"

Karsh mulled this over. "You think I treat you like a woman?"

Norris rolled over. "I feel like you're trying to force a traditional woman's role onto me – I'm not a damsel in distress, Karsh. The guy just freaked me out a little, that's all. I'm not about to put on a dress and prance around the house dusting and cooking for you," he said. "I wanna go drinking in the bars when I'm old enough to get in just like you. I like watching games. The only difference between me and most men is that I'm in a committed relationship with another man."

Karsh was snickering. "You in a dress?"

"Have you even been listening to me?"

Karsh burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, I have this picture of you in curls and big eye lashes and this frilly pink and red dress and you're singing with a bunch of blue birds. . . you're right, you're right, that's not you – I don't think you could pull off a dress – or at least not the one I'm envisioning right now." He took a deep breath, chuckled again, and sighed. "I get your drift. You're a guy, I'm a guy, beer, games, no dresses, gotcha."

"Good."

"HOWEVER," Karsh said, sitting upright and raising a finger. "I don't want you to suffer through anything alone. Fine, go be a manly man, whatever, but don't go doing that without me! The reason I'd want to kick this guy's ass is because let's face it, I'm a bit stronger and bigger than you – I'd probably have a better chance at taking him out. And yes I do want to protect you – you're my entire world right now. I've lost my home, my parents, the brothers. . . I don't want to loose you, too."

Norris smiled. "That's romantic."

"Glad you're catching my drift."

"And by the way Karsh?"

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't look so great in a frilly pink dress, either."

"Yeah, well at least I've got better legs."

Karsh felt Norris kick him under the covers.

The next evening, Karsh looked outside of the slowly cooling blacksmith's shopped and frowned to see the torrential downpour coming over the town. The walk home that evening would not be enjoyable. He sighed – he should have listened to Norris and grabbed a raincoat when he left their apartment that morning.

He hated it when Norris was right because then he'd have an "I told you so" look.

He loved it when Norris was right because it was so dang hot when he had it.

Karsh wished the master smith a good evening as he set out into the rain. Sure enough, Karsh didn't have to go too far before it looked like he'd just taken a swim in his clothing. He sighed – Norris was going to be pissed when he tracked all that mud into the apartment.

Then Karsh would ask for a hug and Norris would shriek at the idea of being wet, cold, and muddy, and then Karsh would chase him around the kitchen table until he inevitable caught him, tackle him to the floor and kiss him for at least an hour or two. Then they'd get washed up (Norris would give him the stink eye for making him take an unnecessary bath), get into some warm clothing, and cuddle up in their bed while listening to the sound of the rain outside.

Or maybe the rain would finally get him in the mood. . .

The apartment wasn't very far from the blacksmith, so Karsh was outside the building in no time. He looked up to their window – oddly enough, the lights were out. _Maybe Norris went to bed early or something? Kinda weird, but, oh well. _Karsh let himself into the main building and closed the door behind him.

_Maybe Bart made him stay late at the shop tonight,_ Karsh thought as he ascended the stairs. Bart didn't usually make him do that, but if they had a tough job that needed to get done quickly, well, Karsh could see where that might happen once in a while. He yawned as he reached the third floor and started down the hallway to his apartment.

There was no light under the door.

Karsh unlocked the door and stepped inside to see the darkness. "Norris?"

Nothing.

Karsh lit the candle by the door – didn't look like Norris was home at all.

"C'mon, Norris – did I piss you off? I'm sorry if I did but you're gonna have to tell me what I did 'cause I have no idea!" There was still no response. Karsh felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. "Norris?" He picked up the candle. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Can you hear me?"

Karsh took a few more steps before noticing the envelope on the table. He put the candle down and pulled up one of the chairs – the envelope had his name on it in Norris' handwriting. Karsh grinned. "Oh, really Norris, a love letter? Trying to play games with me, are you?"

He opened the letter and two pieces of paper fell out. He opened the first one and began to read:

_Dear Karsh, _

_I love you._

_I wanted to make that clear before you read this letter. There is nothing I want more than to be with you for the rest of my life and know that until the day one of us dies that I would be able to wake up with you every morning and be with you every night before I went to sleep. I know it sounds corny, but it's how I feel. _

_But it's because of how much I love you that I'm not here right now._

Karsh felt his heart sink. "What the hell!?"

His eyes glanced at the other piece of paper. He dropped the letter and grabbed the other one, unfolding it and looking it over. Shock set in almost immediately, because it took Karsh a full minute before he realized exactly what it was he was looking at. "By the Green Dragon. . . why?"  
Wanted.  
Dead or Alive.

High Treason against the Republic of Porre.

Ten thousand gil.

Karsh put his face in his hands. "Norris. . ."

I changed my mind about the "happy" situation. This creates way more drama!

The final number of thieves keeps fluctuating, partly due to input from Crystal Cat Chan who wants to talk about this story and not much else over Windows Live Messenger ;). But you guys should see a one of the "new" thieves (since the original lineup of six) show up in a little bit.

The next chapter is around 90 done already.

-Dixxy


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Thirteen: A Safe Place?

Everything had been fine that morning. Karsh had gotten up early and brought fresh baked muffins from the local bakery as a surprise – Norris hadn't even woken up by the time he smelled them and saw his boyfriend sitting on the edge of the basket with food, which earned the blacksmith's apprentice a thank-you kiss. After getting dressed, Norris joined Karsh for breakfast. When they finished, they kissed and went their separate ways for the day.

But on his way to the repair shop, Norris saw the posters and his world broke.

Norris froze in place. Wanted: Dead or Alive. Ten thousand gil. _Treason._

Next thing he knew he was sitting on the floor of his apartment, breathing heavily. He had his face in his hands and he began to sob. This wasn't the life he wanted! He just wanted to live quietly with Karsh and try to move on past all of the bad things that happened to them. He wanted to stay the repair shop while Karsh finished his apprenticeship and live comfortably. Maybe they could have adopted children (as often as Karsh joked about "trying to figure out how to knock him up", it simply was not possible). They would have had a LIFE.

No. Not anymore.

_Son of a bitch._

Norris stayed in the apartment for a few hours, absently wandering around. The kitchen where he and Karsh had tried to teach themselves to cook. The dinning room table where they had shared so many meals and late night talks. The sofa where they had spent so many hours cuddling after long days at work.

The bedroom where they spent the nights together

Norris sat on the bedspread, moving his hand over the blanket. He could smell Karsh on it. He laid down on his boyfriend's side of the bed, caressing the pillow. So many times Karsh had looked at him from there, trying to coax him into making love. Norris had always said no, and Karsh was always good about saying it was okay and pulling him into a gentle cuddle instead.

Now, Norris felt a pit in his stomach. He still didn't feel like he was ready, but now he was afraid that he would never get that chance to finally tell Karsh "yes". He felt himself start to cry, clutching the pillow for dear life like it would somehow save him. _Karsh. . . what do I do now?_

_Karsh. . ._

Norris sat up. "Karsh," he said.

His mind started to spin. By the end of the day he was going to have to start a life on the run. Norris would be running and hiding for a long time – possibly even the rest of his life. He looked down at the pillow. He was looking at a very difficult, dangerous life. He could be shot at, hung, hunted like a dog, hunted BY dogs. . .

If Karsh stayed with him. . .

No.

_I can't do that to Karsh,_ Norris thought. To the best of his knowledge, no such mark was on his head. At the very least he didn't notice him on any of the other wanted posters. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. It wouldn't be fair of him to put Karsh through that.

He didn't want Karsh to go through that, even if it meant never seeing him again.

Norris got off the bed and into the kitchen with a piece of paper and a pen.

Norris didn't have much of a life ahead of him – but he wanted to keep it.

* * *

"He's wandering into a cave right about now."

"Has he seen us?"

"Nope."

"Good."

"Now what do we do?"

"Well, we wait until his falls asleep, tranquilize him, and bring him in."

"What if he wakes up?"

"You moron, that's why we have the transquilizers!"

"Oh. Right."

"Now keep him in your sights – he probably won't go far in, it's too dark."

"You're right – it looks like he's staying behind that rock."

"Ah, staying out of sight, I see."

"He's such a young kid, though – how old is he?"

"Sixteen."

"What the hell did a sixteen year old kid do to make the Porre Military angry?"

"Dunno, don't care – they want him pretty dead, though."

"Sucks to be him."

"Yeah. He's gonna be angry when he wakes up – make sure he's tied up."

"Right. Don't know what the brat's capable of."

"He is the son of Captain Curtis, after all."

"You think he's dangerous?"

"Poster doesn't say so, but do you want to risk it?"

"No, no!"

"Good. Then just make sure he's good and tied up, okay?"

* * *

Norris woke up feeling a bit too groggy. He tried to fumble around to his left where he thought Karsh should have been, only he couldn't do it. Confused, he started to twist around, and as the grogginess faded, he realized – much to his horror – he was bound hand and foot, gagged, and blindfolded.

Norris frantically began to twist and move, trying to break free – what if he was already on his way to Porre?! What if this was just an execution waiting chamber?! What if this was the hideout of some mercenary who'd just scored a big one?! What to do, what to do?!

"Relax, my boy – you won't be handed over to your father – not now, at least."

Norris froze. Was this his captor?

He felt a large figure – based on the voice, it was a man – sit near his legs. It was then Norris realized he was on a bed, and his blood almost froze. He tried to move away from the figure, who only started to laugh as it leaned over. Norris screamed into his gag, thrashing about as he tried to break free.

_WHY THE FUCK DOES EVERYONE WANT TO RAPE ME?!_

The blindfold was removed, and Norris ceased panicking for a moment. He turned to face his captor. He was a well-dressed man with graying hair – he was somewhat thin but still had a rather large nose and smallish eyes. "If you would stop moving for a moment I will remove the gag as well – provided you don't bite or else I promise you will be on the first boat home."

Norris stayed where he was as the gag was removed. "Who are you?"

"No proper introduction? You should be more polite."

Trying to retain his dignity, Norris took a deep breath breath and sought to hold together what little composure he had left. He didn't feel like "proper introductions", but this man was in control of the situation. "My name is Norris Braquer. Thank you for removing my blindfold and gag. May I ask your acquaintance?"

"Much better!" the old man said, clapping. "I am Maxwell Ridgefield."

Norris' eyes widened. "I've heard of you – you're one of the wealthiest men in Northern Zenan. You own something in almost every industry – a mine, a small fleet of fishing boats, a farm or two. . . what are you doing looking for me? Or do you want to look into bounty hunting now?"

"Please – there aren't enough criminals worth enough money to make it worth my while," he said. Ridgefield stood and looked down at Norris. "I'm only interested in your bounty – your very life – as a bargaining tool. You see, I would like it very much if you weren't hanging by your neck or shot by the Porre military."

Norris raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Ridgefield walked over to a nearby table and poured himself a glass of wine. He then began to pace back and forth in front of Norris. "You see, we have something in common – we've both delved into practices that the Porre government deems to be. . . well, criminal."

"What?!"

Ridefield chuckled, ruffling Norris' hair. "Oh the fishing and the farming and the mining are all nice, but the real money is in the underground," said Ridgefield. "Some of my fields have a few special crops growing and a few of my taverns employ some rather special young women and men to provide extra customer care to those willing to pay the price. Just to name a few things."

"You're a crook."

"You're a traitor."

Norris bit his bottom lip.

"Now I bet you're wondering what a man like me wants with a boy like you?" said Ridgefield. He pulled out a knife and leaned in closer to Norris, pressing the blade against his neck. "After all, Porre would give me a lot of money for your head right about now. Wouldn't that be the easy thing to do?"

Norris stayed perfectly still, but his heart was pounding.

"You did some work for me several weeks ago on an old gun," he said, taking the knife away from his neck. "The gun was never one that worked very well – it was fine for shooting sick dogs and not much else before it broke. But it did have a certain family history to it and I didn't want to see it go to waste."

"Did it work?" asked Norris.

Ridgefield stood. "It's the best gun I own now." He slammed the knife into the mattress next to Norris' head. "I don't know how you did it! It was amazing! I've never had a gun work as well as this one did! It has distance, it's accurate. . . I could shoot a bird at a hundred yards easily with that gun! It's the most brilliant thing I've seen in YEARS!"

"So you. . . like my work?"

Ridgefield laughed. "Like it?! You're a prodigy! I want you to work for me!"

Norris' jaw dropped. "You want me to work for you?"

"Yes! I wanted to try and lure you away from that old fool Bart with a big paycheck and a better home than the hole in the wall you're sharing with that young blacksmith friend of yours, but then your wanted poster came out and changed things – it made things more difficult at first but now that you're here. . ." he said. He grinned. "Now, you see, we can cut a deal."

"A deal?"

"You work for me – make and fix whatever I tell you do."

"And in return?"

"I make sure Porre doesn't have a clue where you are."

Norris shut his eyes. "That isn't much of a choice, is it?"

"How many other choices do you have, Braquer?"

Norris leaned back. He could work for Ridgefield and go back into doing work for a man who would probably use him for criminal activity, but he would probably be safe – Ridgefield was definitely rich enough to be able to make those kinds of promises. He could also refuse and be sent back to Porre, where he was certain that he would be executed without a second thought.

Ridgefield was right. He really didn't have a choice.

"All right," Norris said, lowering his eyes. "I'll do it."

Ridgefield grinned.

* * *

Today is my birthday, so I'm updating! Whoo-hoo!

Norris' last name here, Braquer, is the French word for "to point" as in a gun or camera.

-Dixxy


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Fourteen: Midnight Walk

Note: Please read the Author's Notes at the end of the chapter.

Even if he never saw the shores of El Nido again, Dario decided that he could be happy here. The tavern didn't usually have much trouble – especially not with the local bandits spreading rumors about his defeat of Francis' gang. When bandits did show up, it didn't take much for Dario to bring him down the with the small amount of Dragoon swordsmanship he had learned from his father before Curtis kidnapped Glenn. It was decent job, and he liked the idea of staying there for a while.

And it was honest work.

Dario and Rachel were also becoming good friends. He often escorted her around town when she needed to go shopping for the tavern or for herself, and she would keep him company while he practiced, having cold water and towels nearby when he needed them. She didn't have the history he had with Karsh or Glenn or even Norris, but she was still a good friend. And considering all of the awful things that had happened with his prior group, he liked having a fresh start with Rachel.

One night, about three months after Dario had arrived, Mr. Sparks went to bed early from a headache and had his daughter and bouncer close the tavern. She counted up the money while he was cleaning up behind the bar. Things had gotten quiet before Rachel cleared her throat. "It was a good night," she said. "We made a decent profit."

"That's good," said Dario. "No trouble, either."

"None," Rachel agreed. Finished with the day's earnings, she sighed and looked around. "Dario. . . I've been wondering. . ." she said, turning to the bar. Dario put down the mug he was wiping and gave her his attention. Rachel coughed a little into her fist. "Um. . . I was kind of curious. . ."

"Rachel?" Dario asked.

"Where. . . did you come from?" she asked.

Dario raised an eyebrow. "Um. . . what?"

"If you don't want to say anything that's fine but. . . you're not from Guardia, are you?" she said. Rachel put down the money and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm probably prying into your personal life – a lot of people have had a hard time since Porre took over but it's just that you don't say anything at all."

"No, I'm not from Guardia," Dario said, leaping over the bar and walking towards Rachel. He sat at the table she'd been counting at and sighed. "If I tell you where I came from, you can't tell anyone – I'm afraid of what might happen." Rachel sat up and nodded. "Good."

"Are you sure you want to tell me? Because of you don't-"

Dario shook his head. "No. You've been a good friend. I don't mind telling you."

So Dario told her everything.

And Rachel listened.

Dario felt as if his sad, twisted little story was spilling out of his mouth like an uncontrollable flood. He told her about the war, about Curtis kidnapping Glenn and taking him to Porre, about how he and Karsh had followed him and realized what was going on. He told her about Norris and his attempts to help them, choosing to forsake his country for people he'd just met. He told her about their enslavement in Medina and their subsequent escape, only to be captured by Red Beard and enslaved yet again.

By the time Dario told Rachel about Glenn's fate, part of him felt numb.

Rachel took Dario's hand. "Dario. . . it's okay to be upset."

"I know, but I miss him," he said. "I miss Karsh and Norris, too, but I'm afraid of what I'll do if I'm around them. I know it's not their fault, but I don't think I could control myself around them if I had to." He put his head in his hands. "They were my best freakin' friends and I can't even be around them because I'm too angry."

"He was your little brother – of course you'll be mad."

Rachel squeezed his hand. "You just need some time. Then you can see them."

Dario nodded slowly, still depressed. Rachel hugged him as he started to sob.

* * *

The next two weeks at the tavern passed without incident.

Dario had fully intended to go to sleep when he heard movement in the hallway outside his door. Dressing quickly, he grabbed his sword and poked his head out the door. He saw, much to his surprise, Rachel standing in the middle of the hallway, fully dressed and staring at him like a caught thief. "Rachel?"

"I'm just going for a walk."

Dario raised an eyebrow. "At this hour?"

Rachel turned away. "I can't sleep."

Looking forlornly at his bed, Dario sighed. "Let me go with you."

"That's not necessary."

"No, it's fine – you shouldn't be out on your own this late at night anyways."

Rachel frowned, but nodded as Dario grabbed his boots and pulled them on. "Are you sure you're not too tired? It's very late and my restlessnes shouldn't affect you like this. You'll need to be awake to work tomorrow."

"I've done harder work on less sleep," he said, closing the door behind him. The two proceeded down the hallway and to the stairwell. "My enslavement in Medina made anything your father has had me do here seem like a vacation. Trust me when I say this is no big deal. Besides," he said with a yawn, "I enjoy your company."

Rachel blushed. "I enjoy yours as well."

The two stayed silent as they crossed the main room of the tavern – Dario opened the door for Rachel and the two stepped out into the crisp night air. Locking the door behind him, Dario looked around to ensure there weren't any men of ill intent around and then started to walk.

The two had raised interesting points when they'd last exchanged words. Without question Dario liked Rachel and Rachel liked Dario. She probably enjoyed having someone around her age working at the tavern and he enjoyed having someone who was stable to talk to.

The question was. . . did it stop at friendship?

No one was out that night, so they virtually had the town to themselves. The moons provided enough light to see where they were going, and the quiet was both relaxing and disturbing. Neither spoke during the walk, Rachel shuffling her feet and Dario iddly kicking a rock along the way.

They stopped at a fountain at the center of town. It had been made in honor of the hero of Guardia's past, Sir Glenn, the one who had defeated Magus after being forced to live in the body of a frog. Two stone statues – one of a knight, and one of an anthropomorphic frog – stood at the center as the water shot up from behind them.

"I remember once hearing that the Great Garai of the Acacia Dragoons was a descendant of Sir Glenn – is that true?" asked Rachel. Dario nodded, sitting on the edge of the fountain and looking at his ancestor's two forms.

"We lost the Masamune at some point – my family line, that is – but once we arrived in El Nido we became the favored family of the Einlanzer," said Dario. He frowned. "Kinda stinks that the Masamune vanished, but the Einlanzer – as far as I know – is still okay. Then again, no real news has left El Nido in a while."

"It's probably fine – El Nido is probably one of the last sane places left," said Rachel.

Dario closed his eyes. "But is it really?"

"How so?"

"Viper closed the port. I would have loved to have had a chance to go back there, and I'm sure that a lot of people would have tried to escape to the islands to get away from Porre, but that won't happen," he said. He looked up at the sky and sighed. "Like Norris."

"Hmm?" asked Rachel.

"I know you don't pay attention to them, but I do – he's got a wanted poster."

Rachel's eyes widened. "What did he do?"

"Treason," said Dario. He looked down. "Probably for saving us."

Rachel frowned. "You gonna be okay?"

"As long as they leave the posters up I know he's safe, let's put it that way," he said. "It's a little comforting in a way – I don't know where he is but I know that as long as they're looking for him, he's probably alive and out of Porre's hands. Karsh is probably with him, I'd say."

"They really loved each other?"  
Dario sighed. "I don't know. I know they were really close but I always thought they were just friends. I didn't realize it was that serious," he said. "Still. . . Karsh told me that he loved him. I just. . . it's so hard to judge when you haven't really seen it. They didn't DARE show it around Red Beard, and it wasn't until after I knew that I started noticing the little things. A look here, a look there. . . not enough to know how serious it was at the time."

"So you do care."

"Of course," said Dario. "Karsh and I were kids together. Norris saved my life."

They sat in silence for several more minutes.

"Like you said – he may be running, but he's alive and safe for now."

Dario nodded. "Yeah." He smiled. "It's good to know."

Rachel leaned her head on Dario's shoulder – he tensed._ Rachel. . . what are you doing? _She reached over and grabbed his hand. His eyes widened. _Is she flirting, or hitting on me, or something?_ This was unexpected – though, then again, they were teenagers, and he remembered seeing teenagers in El Nido and even in Zenan dating and what-not. Maybe this was. . . something.

Deciding to find out if it was "something", Dario turned his head to kiss Rachel.

And under the light of the moons, he realized that maybe this was "something".

Rachel pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Dario. . ."

They started to kiss again, this time a bit more fevered, embracing each other and gasping a little. Dario leaned a little too far into the kiss, sending them both toppling into the fountain with twin screams. They stared at each other for a few seconds, each soaked to the bone, before laughing it off.

"Maybe we should head back home," said Rachel.

"I agree."

Dario stood, helping Rachel to her feet – he didn't let go of her hand as he helped her step out of the fountain as well. And he didn't let go of her hand as they ran through the streets back _The Mad Griffon_, laughing as beads of water flew off their bodies and out of their hair and their clothing, leaving tiny drops of mud in their wake.

* * *

By the time they had arrived at _The Mad Griffon, _they had become all but inseparable entities. Dario fumbled with the keys to the front door, still holding and kissing Rachel as he managed to open it, bring them both inside, and shut and lock the door. He pressed her against the door, she running her hands through his hair.

Dario stopped, gasping a little as she looked into her eyes. "Rachel. . ." He put a hand around her waist – the hem of her skirt was still damp. "We're still all wet," he said. He laughed, pressing his forehead to hers. Their eyes met – her eyes showed noting but love, which he returned by kissing her lips and caressing her cheek. "We both probably need to get out of these clothes."

"Yeah," said Rachel. She looked down. "We should probably head to bed."

Dario nodded. "Yeah. It's late."

"Can't you at least give me a goodnight kiss?" asked Rachel.

Dario willingly complied, only to have the goodnight kiss refuel their passion as they fumbled up the stairs of the tavern, stopping in front of Rachel's bedroom door. The sound of her father's snoring could be heard down the hallway as they continued to exchange saliva and let their tongues dance.

Rachel reached behind her, grasping the doorknob and turning it. She stepped backwards into the room, leaving Dario on the outside with a bewildered look on his face. Their eyes locked. Someone had to say or do something. "Well," Rachel said softly, "do you. . . want to come in?" She raised a curled index finger, beckoning him inside.

Dario gave her a low growl. "Do you want me to come in?"  
"Well," she said, smirking, "we need to get you out of those clothes anyways."

Their lips locked, Dario stepped inside, and gently closed the door with his foot.

Dario would not be returning to his bedroom that evening.

* * *

Author's Notes

**DARIO/RIDDEL FANS PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME!!**

Please keep in mind this is a HUGE alternate universe fanfiction and under no other circumstances would I mess with this pairing. That said, during the early phases of this story, I realized that Dario was going to end up a freakin' snooze fest with very little spotlight or personality. If I didn't start doing thing like this he would have ended up a generic leader type.

There's an exciting announcement for the next chapter, but we have a special guest all the way from the year 3000 to deliver the message to you! Here he is, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth!

Professor Farnsworth: GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY! Dixxy tells me another canon Chrono Cross will be appearing next chapter – one who hasn't appeared in this fanfiction thus far. And I've just invented the iSmell, which lets you smell all of your favorite MP3 music files! Now you can listen to Keith Richards AND smell him at the same time!

. . .

Special thanks to Triple C for beta-reading. Which she does a lot of.

Dixxy


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Fifteen: Down the Rabbit Hole

Karsh just had to find Norris.

_"What? You're leaving? You and the blond kid were only here a few months!"_

_"I'm sorry, but plans have changed – take whatever's left in the apartment. All I want is the safety deposit and then I'll be on my way, sir. I know this is short notice but something's come up and I'm afraid we won't be living here any longer. The building was a pleasure to live in and you were a very nice landlord but I'm afraid this part of my life is over."_

_"Whatever."_

By the time dawn broke the morning after Norris disappeared, Karsh had already run through several emotions. He was heartbroken, then infuriated, and then weeping as he fell asleep on Norris' side of the bed. When Karsh woke up, he stared at his boyfriend's pillow for several minutes, thinking about the smiling blond who used to lie there.

_"Karsh, why do you look so grumpy this morning?"_

_"I'm behind at the forge – I'm not looking forward to going there today."_

_"Well, you have a few minutes – come back to bed for a little bit."_

Then they'd just lie there for a few minutes. Norris would curl up a bit and rest on his shoulder, breathing softly as he closed his eyes and wrapped one arm around Karsh's waist. Sometimes they would talk a little when they did that, reassuring each other of the troubles going on at their jobs or comforting each other when the pains of loosing Dario and Glenn came back.

Now, Norris truly thought he was doing what was best for his boyfriend.

Unfortunately for Norris, not even Karsh always did what was best for Karsh.

Unfortunately for Karsh, he had no idea where Norris had run to.

_"You're asking me WHAT!?"_

_"I can't finish my apprenticeship – I need to leave town!"_

_"What the hell, boy!? I put way too much time and effort into your to have you-"_

_"With all due respect. . . I can't stay! I'm sorry, I really am but this is urgent!"_

_"Fine. But take this with you – don't get yourself killed."_

_"You're just giving this to me?"_

_"If you decide to come back I'd take you in a second."_

Where did a wanted man run to when he was in hiding? The way Karsh saw it, he would have the entire continent of Northern Zenan to search for hiding places. Shifty bars, gambling rings, maybe even a pirate ship or something like that. . . he had no idea where to begin.

* * *

Karsh ended up on the northern shore of Northern Zenan after a few days. It was tough going on foot – he really didn't want to spend the money for a horse and he doubted he could afford it – but seeing the northern shore was comforting. At least he knew he could get that far by himself.

As he set up his camp for the night, he thought about that. He'd done it alone.

Karsh sat down and stared out at the ocean as he thought about it. He had really never been alone before. When he was little he had his parents and Dario, and eventually Glenn and Riddel. He had people all around him in El Nido. Dario, Glenn, and Norris had been with him for the years following the fall of Guardia, and then it was just him and Norris for a little while.

But now he had no one. Everyone in El Nido probably thought he was long dead by now. Maybe his parents or Garai were still holding a torch for him, but it had been five years. Poor Glenn was dead – that still bothered Karsh – and Dario could be living with the nuns in Fiona's Forest for all he knew.

And Norris. . .

Karsh shivered. He got closer to his fire, but quickly realized it wasn't helping.

* * *

"WAAAHHHH!"

Karsh woke up to the sound of the wail a few days later, feeling grumpy and uncomfortable. It wasn't the first time he'd slept outside, but it would never be as nice as the bedroom in his old apartment. Certainly not with screaming in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night.

_Still. . ._ the voice didn't sound like an animal's, and if there was something like that going on this late at night it couldn't have been good. _That voice didn't sound very old. . . where did it come from?_ He grabbed his ax, closed his eyes, and listened for a second cry.

"LEMME GO!"

_This way! _Karsh started to move through the woods, slipping through the brush and branches of the woods. Years of training as a thief helped him stay silent as he moved towards the source of the cry. The voice was definitely young – younger than he was, and he was only a teenager himself.

"Doesn't she have any money on her?"

Karsh found his mark – there was a clearing nearby with the ruins of what appeared to be an old cathedral or something sitting in the middle of it. Through the crumbled walls he could see the shadows of men around a campfire. He took a deep breath and crept closer to the ruins.

There was a small form curled up in the midst of a group of around five bandits, with one man standing at the lead. "C'mon, a little lady like you running around all by herself doesn't have something? You must've lifted a few wallets or something, didn't you?"  
"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"You don't screw with Francis the Furious and the Bandit Brother like that."

Karsh raised an eyebrow. _Francis the Furious? What kind of a name is that?_

The figure was wearing a big, baggy hood and cloak – a tiny face with big, terrified blue eyes. Karsh realized it was just a little girl – no older than twelve or thirteen. His eyes widened in surprise. They were just going to hurt some little kid?! What could she possibly have that they'd even WANT!?

"Look, you give Francis something valuable and he'll let you go – now just give us something, okay?" said one of the other bandits. He advanced on the little girl, who squealed and backed herself into a corner. "Come on, you're not making it any easier on yourself, are you?"

"STOP IT!" the girl screamed. "GO AWAY!"

The bandits began to laugh. Karsh felt himself getting angrier by the second, so he stepped out of the shadows and decided to lure the men away from the child. "HEY! OVER HERE! WHY DON'T YOU PICK YOUR FIGHT WITH A MAN!"

This got the bandit's attention. The leader (Francis, he presumed) stepped forward. "And just who the hell are you?" he said. Francis cracked a grin. "Don't tell me you're going to try and save her? You can't take all of us on by yourself, or are you just that stupid?" The rest of his gang snickered.

"You're damn straight I'm going to save her," he said, brandishing his ax. Karsh lifted his head, egging them on. He had to get them away from that girl before she got hurt! "Come on, there's five of you and one of me – don't tell me you chickens are afraid of me?"

Francis and he men ran at him. Karsh held his ground, hoping that all of his training at the forge has paid off. _"You can't know you've made a sword or an ax correctly if you don't know how to use one, right, m'boy? Let me teach you the basics of both._"

Swords and ax met – from the angle and the weight, Karsh didn't think Francis was particularly good. Still, his own training was rusty at best – little bits and pieces left over from what his father taught him, and the very different style his master had been teaching him at the forge.

The bandits circled him while he was busy with Francis. Karsh swore under his breath. This was NOT how he'd envisioned this little rescue operation at all. The girl was watching him with terrified eyes. "What are you doing, Mister!?" she asked. "You're going to get hurt!"

"Believe me, kid, this is NOT how I was planning this!" he said.

The girl in the hood started to panic, ultimately grabbing the branch of a nearby fallen tree. She got to her feet and held the stick out in front of her – she started to swing, crying out. She managed to knock one of the bandits on the side of the head, but Francis and the other three were still standing and now very angry with her.

Luckily, the little girl had taken the attention away from Karsh, who was easily able to take out two of Francis' mooks. There was no way he could have handled all five of them, but two of them were within the realm of possibility. "Thanks, kiddo, but I think I've got this now."

Francis sneered as the girl dropped the stick and retreated to her corner. "Really now, ax man? Tell you what – you beat me in a duel and I'll let you walk away with the girl. If I win, I get everything worth value on your person. Does that sound like a fair deal to you?"

"It sounds like a fair deal but I trust you about as far as I can throw a tree." Karsh kneed Francis in the groin, letting the man fall to the ground. "Don't let me catch you harassing little girls, you got that, Francis? She's a kid, and I will kick your ass if you do it again. You got that?"

Francis' last standing bandit had long since vanished, leaving just him, the crying and whimpering bandit leader, and the girl. He kicked Francis a second time on his way over to the girl and knelt down, extending his hand. "Come on, let's get you out of here, okay?"

The girl nodded and took his hand.

* * *

Once Karsh led the girl back to his camp, he started to disassemble the camp. _It would be a bad idea to go to sleep in the middle of the woods with a bunch of angry bandits looking for me – they might have woken up and found their friend by now._ He turned to the girl, who was standing awkwardly by the former firepit. "Okay, just let me grab my bag and I'll get you into town – that's where your folks are, right?"

The girl had remained mostly quiet since he rescued her. "Uh uh."

Karsh raised an eyebrow. "You. . . don't wanna see your parents?"

"My parents aren't here," she said.

"What do you mean? Are they farther away? Maybe in Truce or Dorino?"

She sniffled. "They're in El Nido."

Karsh's eyes widened. _EL NIDO!?_ He knelt down. "You came from El Nido!?"

The girl nodded. "Uh huh. Before the port closed."

"Are you serious?"

"Very," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I told my mommy and daddy I wanted to go on an adventure and they laughed at me, so I stowed away on a boat and before I could get back the man at the shipyard said I couldn't because General Viper said people couldn't go there anymore even if you were from El Nido and then he chased me out."

Karsh closed his eyes. "That wasn't a very smart move on your part, kid."

Her eyes began to water, and then the girl started to wail.

Karsh winced – he hadn't meant to make her cry. He quickly covered her mouth. "Shh! The bandits will hear you!" She was still whimpering behind his hand. Karsh slowly retracted and held up his hands. "It's okay, it's okay," he said. He got down on both knees. "I'm from El Nido, too! I got stranded here before the port closed down, too! We're in the same boat, kid!"

The girl was still sniffling, but she was eyeing him with curiosity. "Really?"

Karsh nodded. "I was born in Termina – my father was a Dragoon and a blacksmith, and my mom helped him run the forge when she wasn't trying to keep me and my friends in line. Seemed like she was always yelling at us if we did something bad or patching us up when we got hurt or making sure we had snacks for when we were hungry." His eyes lowered at the memory. "My parents are probably back there, too. Probably think I'm dead by now." He sighed. "I'm alone here right now, too."

"That's sad."

Karsh sighed with relief – at least she was calmer "So where are you from?"

The girl swallowed. "You don't wanna know."

"Sure I do. Where you from? Termina, Guldove, Arni?"

"Um. . ." The girl reached up to her hood, fingering the edges. "Marburle."

Karsh's eyes widened as she lowered her hood and two big brown bunny ears appeared from under the hood. "A demi-human?" he asked. He fell backwards and started to laugh. "You really are from El Nido!" He looked at her and smiled. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm just. . . I haven't seen anything from home in a long time."

"You're happy to see my ears?"  
Karsh nodded. "You're from home! Sure there are Mystics in Medina, but there aren't any demi-humans running around here like they do back in El Nido!" He almost started to cry. "I miss El Nido. . . the smell of the salty air, the clean water, the sights and sounds of Termina. . . you don't get that around here. The cities are getting so dingy and poor – at least Termina was mostly middle class."

The girl knelt down next to him. "You really are a good guy, aren't you?" She raised a large, furry brown hand and extended it to Karsh in friendship. "My name is Janice. What's your name, Mister?"

"It's Karsh," he said, offering his own hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Karsh," she said.

"It's just Karsh – no 'mister' necessary," he said. He sat down and crossed his legs. Janice crossed her legs across from him as well, seeming to warm up to him a bit. At least she wasn't afraid of him anymore. "So tell me, Janice, what exactly are you going to do now?"

Janice frowned, deep in thought, and then brightened. "Can I stay with you!?"

Karsh's eyes widened. "Janice. . . I don't know if that's a good idea," he said.

"Why not?"

Karsh sighed. "I'm looking for someone very important to me."

"So why don't I help you look for him?" she asked.

"It'll be dangerous," Karsh said with a warning look. "I'm looking for someone who's 

probably hiding with a bad crowd right now, even though he's not a bad person himself. You could get yourself hurt, even with me around to protect you – how old are you? Ten, eleven?"

"I'm twelve."

Karsh coughed. "See what I mean?"

Janice pouted. "I can learn how to fight, too!" She took a fighting stance and started to punch at the air with her big, furry hands, jumping from foot to foot. "Pow, pow! Pow, pow, pow-pow!" She grinned. "I'm little now, but I'll grow! I'll be big and strong and I'll be able to fight, too!"

Karsh sighed. "I'm warning you. . ."

"Do you really want to be alone until you find your boyfriend?" asked Janice.

"Well. . . no, I guess not-"

"So then take me with you!" Janice leapt at him, bringing him to the ground as she wrapped both of her arms around his neck. "Please, Karsh, pretty please? I don't wanna be alone! You even said it yourself, we're in the same boat, stranded far from home!" She looked at him with those big blue eyes, pouting. "Please please please please PLEEEAAASEE!!"

Karsh gave up and smiled. "Just don't get in the way, all right?"

"YAY! KARSH AND JANICE, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!"

Even as Janice's grip tightened, Karsh couldn't help but smile.

He wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

Author's Notes

Francis was about due for a cameo.

That's right, it's Janice! The first of several canon CC characters to appear aside from those originally listed back in _Thieves_!

Who else will join? You'll find out soon enough.

Once again, special thanks to Crystal Cat Chan for being a beta reader and the person I spend the most time talking with about this fic.

Until next time!

Dixxy


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Thick as as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Sixteen: Girl In Trouble

Dario was enamored.

It had been four months since he and Rachel began their little affair, and it was still just as exciting as it was the first time they made love – the first time for both of them. Whenever there was a moment they could have alone, they would kiss or Dario would whisper something sweet into her ear. Mostly, they stuck to subtle flirting – something that would be expected of sixteen year olds anyways – or holding hands behind the bar. Sometimes Dario would sneak into Rachel's room at night, although that meant he would need to wake up early so he was able to get back into his own room before Mr. Sparks woke up and found him in a very compromising position with his daughter.

If they were caught. . . they would be dead.

Well, Dario would be dead at the very least.

Sometimes it was just nice to be with her. They still did everything they did before they began their romance, although they would hold hands when they thought no one was looking as they went on their errands and Dario's training sessions sometimes ended with the two embracing and kissing under a tree. Sometimes Dario would sneak her little presents, like flowers or bits of candy – nothing that would last for very long, but frequent enough so that there was usually something around.

"What do you think of me, love?" Rachel asked, rolling onto her side to look at Dario. Her father was away for a few days visiting an old friend, which the two lovers were taking full advantage of. This was Dario's second night in a row he'd been able to spend the whole night in Rachel's room, and dawn would bring the second morning in a row he would be able to simply lay in bed with her without any rush to leave. No making a mad dash for his pants if he heard his employer outside his daughter's door. No hiding under the bed if there was no time before the man came in and trying to stay quiet as his employer started to converse with his daughter about one thing or another while he was busy sweating bullets.

"Hmm?" asked Dario asked in response. He started to play with her hair a little. She looked contemplative and curious and kind of irresistible. "What do you mean what do I think of you?" He frowned. "This isn't like that time you asked me if that dress made you look fat, or is it? There was no good answer to that question, Rachel."

"Do you love me?"

Dario pulled Rachel closer. "That's a silly little question, Rachel. You know I love you. You're the kind of girl I'd like to be with." He sighed, kissing her. "I like being with you. You make me feel safe and that things are going to be okay. I love that and I love you." He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Rachel sighed. "I'm just thinking a bit."

"You know I enjoy spending time with you even when we aren't naked, although I must admit those are some of my favorite times with you." She stuck her tongue out at him. He kissed her forehead and traced circles on her collarbone. "You're probably one of my favorite people ever, Rachel."

Rachel smiled and giggled at the prospect. "Oh?"

Dario rolled her onto her back, resting his forehead against hers. "Yes."

"So you're serious about us."

"Very." He kissed her. Rachel giggled. "I love you."

Rachel wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, too."

* * *

_Deep inside of Rachel, there was a flicker of new life._

* * *

Two weeks later, Dario woke up early in his own bed, ready to start the day. He'd promised he'd help Mr. Sparks bring a few more barrels of beer to the bar that morning, and they would need to prepare a wagon and horses for the trip to the distillery. It was a kind of boring job, really, but it was usually pretty simple and over with quickly. All in all it was the makings of a more or less uneventful day.

_Maybe Rachel and I can make the day more interesting. . ._

After dressing and stepping out of his room, he heard a terrible sound from the bathroom down the hall. Pausing, he turned and headed back towards the noise and knocked on the door. He heard Rachel moaning from the other side. Needless to say, she didn't sound like she was doing very well.

"Rachel, are you all right?!" Dario asked.

He could hear her whine a little on the other side of the door. "Dario, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me – is everything okay? You don't sound too good."

"I don't feel so good, either."

Dario frowned. "Do you want me to go get your father or something to drink?"

"No. . . I've been sick like this for the past couple of days," she said. Rachel whimpered and he heard – and felt – her lean against the closed door. There was a sliding sound and the shadows at the bottom of the door changed. "No one's noticed yet and I didn't want to say anything – you're the first one to say anything."

Dario's eyes widened. "Rachel, that's not good. Why haven't you said anything about this? If you're got some kind of a bug you might be getting the customers sick, babe. You probably need to get some rest – I'll make sure you're well taken care of until you feel better, okay."  
"Um, Dario?"

"Stomach bugs are nasty, but I'm sure Dr. Rose has something for a bug."

Rachel grew silent. "Dario. . . I don't think it's a stomach bug." He heard shuffling and the clicking of the doorknob turning. Rachel stepped out with her hand on her stomach, looking up at Dario with an uncomfortable look on her face. Worried, Dario placed his hands on her shoulders, afraid that something was seriously wrong.

"Rachel?"

Rachel rested her head against his shoulder, sighing heavily. "This has been going on for about a week now and I haven't felt like myself much – and I've been really tired on top of it," she said. Dario thought about this – she had been taking a lot of breaks when the tavern was open. "Dario, I'm a little scared right now.  
"Of course you're going to be tired – you're sick," said Dario. He put an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get you back to bed – I can cover the tables and the bouncing today, you rest up. I'm sure your father will understand you're sick – he loves you very much and he's not going to make you work when you're not feeling well."

"Dario. . . I'm also late."

Dario raised an eyebrow. "Late for what?"

The girl he loved shook her head. "_I'm __**late**_."

Dario's eyes widened. "You. . . don't mean. . ."

"Dario. . . I think I'm pregnant."

* * *

_A baby._

It was much later that night, well after the tavern had closed for the day. Somehow, Dario ended up sitting on the edge of the fountain made for his ancestor, feeling sick to his stomach. He'd gotten into some of _The Mad Griffon_'s harder liquor, a decision he was now regretting. He laid himself out on the edge of the fountain, lazily draping one hand into the water.

They'd been to Dr. Rose that afternoon when it slowed down to a crawl and Mr. Sparks gave them the afternoon off. The old doctor ran a few tests and told them to come back in an hour – it was probably the longest hour in both of their lives. Dario held her hand and had an arm around their shoulder as they returned to his office, awaiting the news.

Sure enough, Rachel was around two weeks pregnant.

And Dario was not ready to be a father.

Well, they had a while before Rachel actually had the baby. Eight and a half months could be a long time, but he had a funny feeling that they were going to fly by faster than he wanted them to. If he'd WANTED the baby they might have gone by slow, but since he wasn't prepared to this. . . he dreaded the coming months.

Dario's head was still swimming from the idea. . . or from the alcohol. He wasn't sure which one it was. He didn't consider himself a drinker, and certainly he wasn't quite old enough to be drinking it, but something about the news from the doctor that afternoon just made it seem like a really "good idea". He was regretting that "good idea" now, but maybe the haziness he was feeling was a good thing.

He looked up at the face of the knight. "You would be so disappointed in me," he said, pointing at the statue. "I suck! I really suck, don't I? I couldn't get my friends back to Guardia. Is' my fault Norris has that wanted poster, huh? If I got him back to my dad and Viper they would have brought him home with us and he woulda been safe. And it's probably my damn fault Glenn's dead! And now I've gotten a girl pregnant. I'm doing fucking fabulous, aren't I?! Huh!? This is your legacy! Me! Some drunk ass horny teenager with a dead brother and a baby on the way!"

"Dario. . ."

Dario turned his head to see Rachel standing over him. She had a shawl over her shoulders and a frown on her face as she kept her hands protectively over her stomach. She sat next to his head, sighing heavily as she looked him over. "Rachel. What're you doing out so late?" he asked. "You should be in bed."

"You got into the liquor, didn't you?"

"No kidding," he snapped. Dario laughed, probably louder than he should have. "What does it matter?" he said. "Before all this happened, you know what would have probably happened to me? Do ya? I would have probably been one of tha Dragoons back in El Nido by now. Following in my dad's footsteps, making him proud and all that. If he saw me now? He'd fucking disown me. I was a damn thief, Rachel! And what have I done now? Screwed around and got a girl pregnant. I'm a REAL shining example of what my father would have wanted, aren't I?"

Rachel swallowed. "I'm not dealing with you when you're like this."

"This isn't your fault!" he snapped. Rachel turned, eyeing him in surprise. "This is my damn fault! I'm a royal fuck up! You're just a victim in all this! I should've known everything was too good to be true! If you'd never met me you wouldn't be pregnant right now! You could've gotten a little older, met a nice guy and got married and had a nice little house somewhere with a dog or something. But then I-!"

Rachel put a finger to his lips and gently shook her head. Dario quieted, looking at her in interest as she cupped his chin and tilted his face towards her. She looked so calm and at ease, much more than he would have figured a sixteen year old girl should have been the day she found out she was pregnant. "Dario, let me try to put this nicely. . . shut the fuck up, sweetie."

Dario hiccupped, tried to get up, and ended up in the fountain. Rachel stepped away from the splash as he tried to sit up, looking over the end of the fountain at her. Not all of the water dripping down his face was from the basin. "I'm sorry," he said. He sat back down in the water. "I just. . . I just feel like I'm not allowed to be happy."

"I don't make you happy?"  
Dario shook his head. "Of course you make me happy. Rachel, I love you and you know that," he said, leaning against the stone as he struggled to his feet. "Rachel, we're sixteen! Raising a baby isn't going to be easy! I love you but neither one of us is prepared for this!"

Rachel looked at him, with concern "You're not leaving, are you?"

Dario paused for a second. "No," he said, shaking his head. "No, I can't do that."

Rachel stepped closer, extending a hand. "I would have thought you would."

Dario sighed heavily. "I. . . I'm not ready for the baby. I'm really not." He closed his eyes. "But. . . what if I left, and then I woke up one day ten years from now and realized that I had missed out on something? Walked out on something important and special and stuff. . . I don't think I'd be happy with myself if I did that."

"So then you will stay."

"What else am I going to do?" Dario laughed bitterly. "You're all I've got."

Rachel put a hand on his back. "You need to sober up, Dario."

"Probably." He hiccuped. "And marry you."

"What?"

"I love you and you're having our baby."

Rachel's eyes widened. "Let's get you back to the tavern, all right?"

"Yeah."

* * *

It was a few evenings later that they broke the news to Rachel's father.

Normally, Mr. Sparks was a mild tempered little man who didn't like confrontation. He was well liked by the community, wouldn't harm a fly, and slipped free food to homeless children every so often. He was kind, gentle, caring, compassionate, and peaceful man. Not the kind of man who would point a gun at another man's forehead and threaten to blow their brains out against the back wall.

Unless, apparently, he found out someone was fooling around with his daughter.

"DADDY! DARIO!"

"Mr. Sparks, please put the gun down," Dario said, his hands up as he slowly backed away from his employer. He was sacred of this man whom he had previously been on excellent terms with. But now, because there were four human lives in Rachel's bedroom and only three immediately visible . . . he was starting to wonder if he was going to die.

"YOU. . . YOU. . . YOU!!" Mr. Sparks said, shoving the gun into Dario's face.

"Daddy, stop it!" Rachel screamed. "This isn't solving anything!"

"I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL DO IT!"

"Daddy, please calm down and listen and don't kill him!" said Rachel.

Never taking the gun away from Dario, he turned to his daughter. "He took advantage of you! When did he do it? Did he take you into an alley to have his filthy way with you, or did he sneak into your room and threatened to slit your throat if you screamed!?"

"Daddy, he didn't rape me!" Rachel said. Boldly, she grabbed the arm holding the gun and pointed it at the floor. Mr. Sparks looked at his daughter, who boldly stared at him in the face. "Dario and I were having an affair – it's been going on for a while, and no one has forced anyone to do anything they didn't want to do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but we're in love."

Mr. Sparks didn't completely calm down, but he did drop the gun. Dario sighed with relief, only to choke on it as Rachel's father glared at him. "Don't think I'm not done being angry with either one of you. I'm your father, and I took YOU in off the streets! Of COURSE I'm infuriated with the two of you!"

Swallowing hard, Dario clasped Mr. Sparks hands. "Let me make this right."

"Oh? HOW!? How can you make this BETTER, Dario?!"

Dario swallowed. "Let me marry Rachel."

The room went silent. Rachel's eyes were wide, and Mr. Spark's jaw dropped.

Dario closed his eyes. "I love your daughter. Very, very much. And now that's she's pregnant with our child. . . your grandchild. . . I want to be with her as her husband. I don't want them to be alone." He swallowed. "You know what will happen if I don't marry her. I love her too much to put her through that. I know you probably think I was just horny or something, but I care about your daughter very, very much."

"Dario. . ." Rachel said.

Mr. Sparks nodded at Dario, but he was still clearly fuming as he shoved his soon-to-be son-in-law to the side. Rachel grasped Dario's hand the two exchanged a worried look – he was seemingly giving them his "blessing", but he still didn't seem too happy about it. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Dario sat down on Rachel's bed, sighing. "That could have gone better."

Rachel sat next to him, putting his hand in her lap. One of her hands stayed over her belly, somehow trying to touch her unborn child. "He's a smart man – he's just angry right now. Daddy will calm down in a few days, and by the time the baby's born I'm sure he'll be a proud grandfather." She took a deep breath.

Dario placed his hand over Rachel's still small stomach. "Yeah. He'll be a good grandfather. He's just upset right now, and I can't blame him. You're his baby, and now you're going to have a baby. And you're not married yet." He took her hands. "It's probably not the best he could have hoped for, but by the time the baby comes, you'll have a husband – if you accept my proposal."

Rachel squeezed back. "Dario?"

Dario shook his head, still holding her hands. "Please. . . let me at least do this part right," he said. He bent down on one knee, reaching into his pocket for a small, black ring box. He opened the box to reveal a small silver band without a stone. "I know it's not much. . . I bought it this afternoon. . . but I wanted to do something for you."

"Dario. . ."

"Rachel. . . I love you. I'm crazy about you. I know it doesn't seem like it but you saved my life – I put a lot of thought into this. Between the baby and everything I want to do this, but most of all it's because I love you. Now or five years or ten years from now. . . it doesn't matter when, because I feel that I would have done this eventually anyways. So why wait? I love you now and I'll just love you more as we get older. I want to be your husband. Will you be my wife?"

Rachel started to cry as she nodded and fell into her fiancé's waiting arms.

* * *

Author's Notes

Look! A new character is on the way!

It's also back to the Karsh and Janice show after this!

-Dixxy


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Seventeen: The Price

"Norris . . ."

"Karsh . . ."

It felt good to be in Karsh's arms again. Norris returned the embrace, kissing his lover's neck, his face, his shoulders, his lips, everything, and he felt Karsh returning the treatment tenfold. Norris was vaguely aware that they had returned to their apartment and were currently in their old bedroom, tangling themselves in the sheets of their old bed.

Norris felt his heart racing, Karsh on top of him and running his hands up and under his shirt, his fingers tracing circles on his chest. "I missed you so much," he mumbled between gasps of breath. The blonde felt his head begin to spin as he was trying to peel Karsh's shirt off. "I'm so glad you're back here . . . we'll find a way to make this wanted thing work, I promise."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Norris felt his eyes begin to tear. He'd never felt so happy to see anyone in his entire life. He was vaguely aware that Karsh was fumbling with the edge of his pants and he gasped. "I thought I was never going to see you - ah! – Karsh – again – ooo! – I thought I – oh please – please don't leave – oh . . ."

By now they were both lying half naked on the bed, Karsh's hands on either side of his torso. "Do you want me to make love to you now?" Norris' eyes widened and he felt his heart begin to beat faster. His jaw dropped as Karsh traced a finger down the side of his face, a seductive look in his red eyes. "Or are you still not ready yet?"

"I miss you so much . . ." Norris said slowly. His mind was spinning, his eyes looking Karsh up and down and feeling like his was going to explode on the spot. "Karsh . . . I love you so much . . . don't . . . oh God . . . oh Karsh please . . . I miss you so much and I don't . . . oh . . ."

* * *

"What are you mumbling 'yes' about? It's almost noon and you're not up yet?"

Norris opened his eyes, disappointed to see his happy little fantasy had been replaced with the cold reality of Ridgefield's mansion. He blinked a few times at Ridgefield, who had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot impatiently. "'m sorry, I was up late with the boat motor," he said.

"Right. The boat motor. Is it really that hard to install a silencer?"

"I had to disconnect the entire engine and crack it open to get it in there right, otherwise it wouldn't have worked and if it did somehow work without being properly attached it might have fallen off," Norris replied, still sleepy. "Worse, it could have made a really loud banging sound if it popped off. That would have let everyone know something was up."

Ridgefield turned his nose up. "Well, whatever. We're going to be going on a little trip this evening – get dressed and be ready to leave in an hour." Norris watched as his "boss" left the room, slamming the door behind him. There was the familiar sound of jangling keys, the lock sliding into place, and then the retreating of footsteps.

Norris sat up and sighed. It had been a few months since Ridgefield "took him in", and although it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to have dreams about Karsh, this was the first time they had taken on such a sexual nature. As it was Norris was still feeling some of the effects of the dream and it was dizzying.

Normally, Norris' Karsh dreams involved the two of them dancing, maybe kissing, or simply falling asleep in each other's arms. It was the gentle, tame relationship he was used to. But this was the first time it seemed like they would be going further than that.

It figured Norris was finally "ready" when Karsh was out of the picture.

The blonde stumbled out of bed, padding his way towards his bathroom, yawning and rubbing his eyes. It was a tiny wash closet, and "closet" was a good description for it – his mother's closet back in Porre was bigger than this. Still, he had to admire its design for its use of space – everything he really needed was compactly and elegantly put together – he could shower, relieve himself, and do basic grooming.

Norris spent the vast majority of the last few months within a "suite" in one of Ridgefield's many homes – it consisted of a small bedroom, a bathroom, and a workshop larger that his bedroom and bathroom combined – not that it really took much. Almost any tool and part Norris wanted was at his fingertips - hammers, wrenches, springs, gears, nuts, bolts, welders, magnifiers, even a sewing machine and various kinds of fabric and thread were available.

He wasn't sure if he loved it or hated it.

On the one hand, being able to create and invent and tinker with such freedom was almost euphoric, and Norris was discovering that his talent for working with mechanical items had been severely underestimated by his former employer. There, Norris had been restricted by what customers brought in. Here, he could do whatever he wanted.

Well, most of the time he could.

Although mostly left to his own devices, Ridgefield would often request Norris do specific repairs or come up with solutions for certain "situations" – many of them having to do with unsavory practices. Repairing the boat motor was one thing – motors failed, and exposure to salt water could make it wear out even faster. The silencer, however, was not as normal, and Norris was fairly certain they had been banned – probably because of the very reasons his boss wanted one.

Mostly, Norris didn't see the rest of the house – his suite was locked from the outside and he was brought meals three times a day, though if he wanted more food Ridgefield said he would provide it. On the rare occasions he did get to the leave his quarters it was usually to work on boats – located under the house and leading out to open ocean – and once to a small infirmary room where one of the doctors gave him a physical. Mostly, the people who lived and worked in the mansion didn't know Norris was there – there was the doctor, the old woman who brought him his food, and Ridgefield. Anyone else who found out was told by Ridgefield to keep their mouth shut "or else".

Norris splashed water on his face and stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He looked terrible, he thought, and he felt at least twice his age. Everything about this place was wearing on him. He sighed, stripping to take his shower. He looked at his naked body and realized he'd lost weight – he hadn't been eating very much, had he? Or maybe the stress of being there was taking its toll on him physically, too.

He sighed as he stepped into the shower.

* * *

Ridgefield collected him sometime later, gave him something to eat (a piece of fruit, some cheese, and a bun), and then brought him to the docks under the house. Norris then saw the outside for the first as the boat pulled away and was surprised to see it was on a private island. This knowledge made his stomach sink – he felt isolated enough being in those little rooms, never mind being separated from the continent.

For the trip to . . . wherever it was they were going, they were on a much larger vessel than the ones Norris had worked on – the trip was going to be more than a mere daytrip, although the amount of supplies they brought with them made it seem like it wouldn't be that long – maybe two weeks at best.

Mostly, Norris was kept in the same situation he was at the mansion – he was told to keep to his quarters and whenever he was allowed on deck he had to wear a hooded cloak to hide his features and he wasn't allowed to speak with anyone but Ridgefield – even most of the crew didn't know who he has.

On the second day, it finally occurred to Norris to ask the obvious:

"Where are we going?"

Norris and Ridgefield were dining in Ridgefield's cabin, which Norris guess was probably to keep an eye on him. Mostly they had eaten silently, but the blonde wanted to know what the purpose of this excursion was. Why was Ridgefield risking this?

"As you are well aware, Mabel is getting on in her years."

Norris nodded. Mabel was the old woman who brought him his food or other things he needed. When he was younger, Norris would have that having his own personal servant might be fun, but Mabel was somewhat unpleasant. She was indiscreet about belching and farting, smelled funny, and was also cranky and rude.

"Mabel will be retiring from my services soon, so we're going to be getting you a new assistant – I wanted the two of you to be acquainted right away. I want someone young, possibly able to help you with your work. As such your opinion in this purchase will be useful."

Norris raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'purchase'?"  
"This brings us back to your original question: we're heading for Medina."

The blonde got to his feet and grabbed the edge of the table. Ridgefield looked up at him, somewhat distant and emotionless in his stare. If they were going THERE, that could mean only one thing. "MEDINA!?" he demanded, his eyes wide. "You're buying a SLAVE!?"

"They're expensive up front so I don't get them very often but in the long run they're very cost effective. The amount of money I need to spend to house, feed, and clothe a slave is much less than I would pay a normal servant in a salary. Of course no one on staff knows who is and isn't a slave, and most of them don't know there are slaves amongst their co-workers," Ridgefield explained calmly.

Norris closed his eyes and slowly sat down. _Of course – Ridgefield acts in the way that best suits him, even if it hurts others. The only reason he's even "helping" me in the first place is because my services benefit him – otherwise he'd probably be content to let me run and hide for the rest of my life. And since he sees benefits in slavery, there's no way I can talk him out of this._ Norris felt a pit in his stomach – he'd be helping in the selection of this slave.

He didn't touch the rest of his dinner.

* * *

Luckily for Norris, it didn't seem like they would be encountering his old master during their stay – they were in a completely different part of Medina, and truth be told, Ozzie wasn't very big on traveling. It was possible a house guest might be in the area, but Norris doubted they would recognize him even if he wasn't wearing his hood.

There were a number of ways to buy a sell slaves – he, the brothers, and Karsh had been directly sold to Ozzie from the captain of the ship they'd stowed away on. But there were also private dealers – some of them were breeders (Norris really didn't want to think about what that might entail, especially for the women), others bought and sold "good" slaves with various skills and talents for profit. Sometimes there were auctions. Sometimes there were trades.

All of it made Norris ill.

They ended up going to a private dealer – apparently Ridgefield had an ongoing deal with this mystic, a tall, skinny yellow mystic with teeth that matched his skin. Norris didn't care to know the details of the agreement, but it seemed like Ridgefield was giving this mystic access to something illegal in exchange for good deals on slaves.

"I'm afraid I don't have much to offer you, Mr. Ridgefield," said the slave trader, clasping his hands and frowning as he led Norris and Ridgefield into the building and down a hallway. "Just two left in stock right now. Made a big sale before you told me you were coming and I haven't been able to re-stock."

"That's fine – we only need one," said Ridgefield.

The Mystic nodded, opening a door and leading them into a room with a few chairs. "What do you need the slave for? I'm afraid the girls are both unskilled as far as I can tell – they're quite young, so I hope you don't need someone in a trade."

"Just a servant, although being able to assist in a workshop environment would be greatly appreciated as well," said Ridgefield. He pulled down the hood from Norris' cloak and the Mystic gasped. "I know what you're thinking, but the boy's a mechanical genius. I couldn't let Porre kill something this valuable."

Norris didn't even want to respond to that.

"Of course," said the mystic, eyeing Norris up and down. He felt a shiver and clutched the fabric of his cloak. "Still . . . you should warn me next time you come in here with a wanted fugitive. It's quite a shock to the system – after all, ten thousand gil is a pretty penny."

"If you still want my help you'll keep your mouth shut about it," said Ridgefield.

"Naturally," said the mystic. "Please, sit down – both of you. I'll go get them."

Ridgefield pulled Norris into one of the chairs as the orange mystic left the room. They sat in silence until he could hear the sounds of whimpering getting slightly louder and louder as the mystic dragged the poor girls into the room. Norris looked at the floor, having a hard time believing he was involved in this.

The door opened – Norris shut his eyes.

"Huh. Would you look at that," Ridgefield said off-handedly.

Curiosity won the fight with disgust and Norris looked up. "Oh no," he said.

The girls were sisters. Worse yet, they were twins.

The two girls were holding each other's hands tightly, shaking in their shoes. They were definitely younger than Norris, maybe about thirteen years old. They were blond haired, blue eyed girls with identical faces – only their clothing and hairstyles made it easy to tell them apart.

The mystic grabbed the one with pigtails by the shoulder – she cried out as her sister continued to clutch her hand. "Got lucky with these two – street rats in Guardia. They were living with their father, but the old man passed away a few months ago. That's why I can offer them to you so cheap. They don't have any formal training, but it sounds like you don't need anything like that."

"Just as long as they know how to deliver food and fetch him whatever he needs," said Ridgefield, flippantly waving a hand in the air as his crossed his legs. "Maybe hold down something while he does whatever he does to it – hammers it or glues it, I don't know."

Norris felt his heart beginning to race. Ridgefield only wanted one.

_Which means . . ._

"So, which one do you want?" the Mystic asked casually.

The girls' eyes widened and they looked at each other – the pigtailed one broke free from the orange Mystic and grabbed her sister, the two embracing tightly. "No!" one of them demanded.

"Don't take me away from Orlha!"

"We won't let you!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" the Mystic yelled, smacking them both across their faces. The girls cried out and stepped back, but didn't completely let go of each other. "SIT DOWN! RIGHT NOW!" The girls were too terrified to move, staring at the Mystic as they shook, crying and clinging.

"I don't know, what do you think?" Ridgefield asked, turning to Norris. He seemed almost bored with the whole situation, a somewhat tired expression in his eyes. "The one on the right or the one on the left? I can't tell which one will be better, but if they're twins I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"

Norris clenched his fists. "I think this whole thing is repulsive."

Ridgefield glared. "That isn't what I asked you, now is it?"

He ignored the comment. "I don't approve of this – I was a slave myself once, and the only reason I said that is because I know you value me too much to let him put me back into the trade," said Norris. He stood up and walked over to Ridgefield, planting his feet firmly on the floor before him. "I've turned the other way for I don't know how many other things you've done."

"Are we forgetting that you're a traitor?" asked Ridgefield, grinning.

Norris bit his bottom lip. Ridgefield had a point – even if what Porre had done to Karsh, Dario, and Glenn was despicable, he had broken who knew how many laws by freeing them. His parents had probably disowned him, all of his old friends would probably not give a second thought to turning him in, and didn't even want to think of all the teachers, neighbors, friends, and family members of his who would gladly show up to his execution.

But what the Porre government had done to them was wrong. They were only children – the children of two of El Nido's Devas, but still children. They had grown to be his best friends, and Karsh was the love of his life. Hell, the friendship and the love didn't even matter there, did it?

"I stand by the choice I made," he said, crossing his arms. "My country hates me, but my conscience tells me I did the right thing." Norris closed his eyes. "Right now, my conscience is telling me that participating in this 'exchange' is deplorable, and I'm not sure what I hate more – the fact that you're even thinking about buying these girls at all, or the idea that you want to separate sisters – twins at that."

Ridgefield reached out and slapped Norris, sending him stumbling backwards towards the girls. He heard them cry out, but he didn't feel himself hit the floor – they caught him, and were looking down at him in wonder. Norris smiled weakly back at them as they helped him struggle to his feet. They hid behind him, peeking around his shoulders.

"You're forgetting that regardless of what your little conscience is telling you the Porre military will have you die like a dog if I were to turn you in. You'd die with your countrymen cheering for your death, and you're only what? Sixteen years old? You have a lot of nerve defying the one man who's keeping you alive right now," said Ridgefield, standing up to face him. He snorted. "Bloody Porre genius."

The orange Mystic paled. "What did you say?"

"Porre genius?" asked Norris, staring at Ridgefield in confusion. The girls clutched his shoulders. Norris looked between them, but neither seemed to have a clue as to what Ridgefield was talking about either.

Ridgefield sighed. "Of course you wouldn't have heard about this," he said. He cleared his throat. "But it doesn't matter. What matters is we need to close this deal, choose one of these stupid little girls and go home – do you understand me? Mabel's just about ready to drop dead and the rest of the staff is too busy to be dealing with you."

Norris took a deep breath. "You're not leaving here without making a purchase."

"No."

Norris swallowed. "Both."  
"What?" asked Ridgefield, taking a step back.

The orange Mystic seemed to like the idea and stepped in front of Norris. "Yes! Yes! Buy them both! What a splendid idea! I'll even give you a discount! Instead of one for five thousand I'll give them both to you for nine thousand gil! You're not going to find a better deal than that!"

"I haven't agreed to anything yet!" said Ridgefield, who shoved the Mystic aside. His eyes were drilling in on Norris, who swallowed. "If you hate slavery so much, what the hell makes you thinking purchasing more slaves is productive, hmm? I'd love to hear your logic for this."

Norris took a deep breath. "I'm disgusted on two counts – one, that you're buying a slave. Two, that you're heartlessly going to separate these girls. Since I know I can't convince you to not buy them and that even if I could they would just be sold to someone else – possibly to different masters – then the only thing I can do is try to convince you to purchase them both to keep them together," said Norris.

"I didn't come here to buy two slaves – not only will I have to pay more up front but that's another mouth to feed, another body to clothe, another entire person I need to pay for!" said Ridgefield. He prepared to strike Norris again, but then suddenly calmed. "Well, Norris, let's make a deal."

Norris cocked his head to one side. He hadn't expected that response. "A deal?"

Ridgefield grinned. "Yes. A deal."

"What kind of a deal?"

"Let's call it an open-ended deal. I'll buy the other twin in exchange for a special favor later on," said Ridgefield. He grabbed the clasp of Norris' cloak and pulled him forward. "Remember, this is all for a pair of girls you don't know – strangers. And you don't even know what the price for that second child is going to be, do you?"

"The only thing that they must have right now is each other – you'd be destroying two lives," said Norris. He frowned, looking back at the girls. They wore matching expressions of shock on their faces. "I'm sorry but I can't let you do that. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't even try to help them."

"So then, do we have a deal?" asked Ridgefield.

Swallowing, Norris nodded.

* * *

Author's Notes

Okay, so the Karsh and Janice show didn't happen. Their next chapter, "Snow Bunny", is coming along less than fabulous. So instead I decided to go ahead and do this Norris chapter instead and introduced even MORE canon characters.

If anyone reads the reviews, you'll notice a character named "Gabi" was mentioned - short for Gabriella, she's Dario and Rachel's as of yet unborn little girl.

Speaking of Dario and Rachel, they'll be back again next chapter – and this time I'm sure of it because that chapter is more or less finished, so it might be out by the end of the week.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Eighteen: Dylan

"So you're the dude who knocked up Rachel."

Dario looked up from his post by the door to see a man about his height and age standing before him – he was very formally dressed in a dark brown suit, with short brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was very thin and had pale skin, looking much like someone who didn't get out much.

Dario sighed. "I prefer 'the man who loves her.'" He crossed his arms over his chest. Mr. Sparks had been trying to keep knowledge of Rachel's pregnancy under a low radar, so how this strange man had learned about it was a mystery. Dario put his hand on the hilt of his sword and glared at the man. "Who are you and how did you know about that?"

"Dylan!" Rachel practically flung herself at the well dressed man, who barely seemed to have the strength to catch her. Her patrons looked on, shrugged, and went back to their meal. "Oh, I've missed you so much! I haven't seen you since we were children! You look wonderful!"

"And you're glowing, Rachel!" he said. "Ma used to say a woman glows when-"

Rachel shushed him with a gentle slap to the arm. Dylan grinned, jokingly raising his hand to his "injury". This didn't stop the young woman from glaring at him. "Most of the patrons don't know about that!" she hissed. "Dario and I aren't married yet and the wedding isn't for another few weeks! So SHUSH!"

Dylan frowned, looking at her stomach. "Won't they figure it out soon, though? That you were . . . this . . . before the marriage?" He whispered. "'cause the baby will be here before your nine month anniversary, if you know what I mean."

Rachel matched his face, rubbing her stomach and sighing. "Tell me about it."

Dario stepped next to Rachel, pointing at him in confusion. "Who is this?"

Rachel looked at her fiancé with wide eyes, then put her hand to her mouth. "Oh! I forget to tell you, I'm so sorry!" She took Dario's hand. "Dylan, this is Dario, my fiancé." She hushed her tone. "And yes, we're expecting a child together." She smiled and raised her voice again. "Dario, this is my cousin Dylan – he's here for the wedding."

Dylan grinned, extending a friendly hand to Dario. "Hello there!"

Dario wearily extended his hand, shaking his future relative's hand. "Afternoon."

"Dylan, my boy, how wonderful it is to see you!" The trio turned to see Mr. Sparks walking towards them with wide arms and a boisterous laugh. Dylan extended his arms for an embrace. The two patted each other's back and pulled away, smiling brightly at each other. "How's my favorite nephew doing?"

"Uncle? I'm you're only nephew," he responded.

Mr. Sparks moved to his side and put his arm around his shoulder. "Why don't you and I head back to my office for lunch?" He turned to the young couple. "I would ask the two of you to join us but I need somehow out here for the customers. I'm sorry, Dario, do you mind picking up a few tables for me?"

"Uh, of course sir," said Dario, afraid to say "no" to anything Mr. Sparks asked. He still considered himself very lucky he was even allowed to see Rachel, never mind sleep under the same roof as her. The two men moved to the back of the tavern and disappeared through the office door.

Rachel tugged his sleeve. "We've got to get back to work. Don't worry, I'll explain later."

* * *

"Dylan's home town was the site of a major battle during the war," said Rachel as she and Dario washed down the tables for the night. "The battle claimed both of his parents and left him all alone. Daddy would have taken him in if Mom hadn't died, but he just couldn't take care of two children. So the mayor of his hometown decided to take pity on him and took care of him for a few years."

"That's why he was so well dressed," said Dario. "He's been with a mayor."

"Right – see, Uncle Thomas and Auntie Jane were about as well off as Daddy and I are, so it isn't what he was originally brought up in. To be honest it doesn't look like Dylan's adjusted very well to that lifestyle – the upper class, that is. He's happy enough but he just doesn't seem like the type to go into politics," said Rachel. "I don't know where he's going to end up."

"Would your father give him a job here?" asked Dario.

Rachel shook her head. "Doesn't seem like this would be his thing, either."

"Well, why's he in town for the wedding? It's still a month and a half away," said Dario.

Rachel sighed. "Well, Daddy thinks he needs to get away from his village for a bit and the mayor agreed – he needs to figure out what he's doing with his life so they thought this might help," she said. She frowned at him. "I would have told you earlier but Daddy just told me this morning and things were so busy I couldn't find a minute to let you know."

"I'm not mad it's just . . . he walks right in, sees me, and goes 'oh so you're the one who got her pregnant' like it was no big deal!" said Dario. He put his hands on her shoulder and hung his head. "Sweetie, no one knows you're pregnant. We just found out two weeks ago ourselves. We can't have everyone knowing – they'd never let you live it down."

"I know. Daddy told me he had words with Dylan over it and he promises to keep his trap shut about it from now on," said Rachel. "Let them think what they want when the baby gets here. By then we'll be married and they'll know we, well, took some responsibility. It won't be the best foot we'd be putting forward but it's better than nothing," she said.

There was a knock on the door and the sound of Dylan's voice asking to be let in. Rachel left her washcloth on the table and scuttled to the door, Dario watching his fiancé as she let her cousin in and embraced him. He greeted her in much the same demeanor as before, then stepped over to Dario.

"So I was thinking," he said. "If you're going to marry Rachel, we need to talk."

Dario put his washcloth down and nodded. "All right."

Dylan started to scratch his chin. "Do you love her?"

It was as if Dylan had asked if he was breathing. "Of course I do," said Dario, smiling as he looked back at Rachel. She beamed back as he stepped over to her and kissed her forehead. "She's my world."

"Your world?"

Dario sat down. "Yes. When I came here I had nothing. I'd lost . . . everything. My mother, my father, my brother and my best friends . . . gone. Then I found Rachel and I had something again. Then I fell in love with her and now I want to start my life over with her. I don't know what I would have done without her."

Dylan nodded, pacing back and forth. "All right. Sounds good."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"He says he loves you and that you're his world. What more do I need to know?" Dylan pulled an apple out of his pocket and started to chew. "See, back down with the Mayor, a lot of the marriages are all about the dudes of the wealthy marrying the chicks of the wealthy, and sometimes they hate each other, but they do it because their parents want them to, you know? And they hate each other! Now, they usually don't bother me with that kind of stuff because I'm not really rich and the parents of the rich chicks don't want their daughters with some poor boy like me, but I've been watching them and it's not a pretty picture."

"So because you've seen so many loveless marriages. . ." said Dario.

"I just wanna make sure that isn't what you guys are headed for," said Dylan. "Dario, you have given me no reason to dislike you so far, ignoring that you got my cousin pregnant – you're even tempered, you're affectionate with Rachel, and you value her. Which, come to think of it, might be how you got her pregnant in the first place but that means she wasn't just an easy lay. To me, that's all very important."

"I'm not trying to stop you from liking me, but you don't know me," said Dario.

Dylan shrugged. "Well, I know that from what Uncle Harold told me you two were knocking boots for a while, so I think that in order for you to risk you job just for a little something on the side you must have been drawn in by something special. I mean, there are lots of hookers in town and some of them are like, twice as cute as Rachel – OW!"

Rachel glared at Dylan, his face red from her hand mark. "Watch it, Dylan."

"Aw, c'mon Rachel, you've got tiny little breasts-OW!"

"Dylan, I think Rachel wants you to stop," said Dario.

"Dude. . ." said Dylan, rubbing the back of his head.

"So will you be staying with us until the wedding?" asked Dario.

"No, actually, I found where I want to apprentice myself," said Doc, putting his hands on his hips. "I talked with Dr. Rose today at Uncle Harold's advice – I'm going to be a doctor, little cousin!"

Rachel beamed. "Well, when we were little and I would get hurt you'd always rush to find a bandage. Whenever that happened, you always seemed to believe that would fix everything." She stood up and went behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "And didn't you always used to look at my mother when she was doing her job in wonder?"

"I just hope I'll be good at it."

"You won't know until you try," said Dario.

Dylan thought about this and nodded. "Yeah, you're pretty much right." He sighed. "But, ah, I will be staying here a couple of nights while the good doctor gets a room ready for me. He's got to clean out an old storage room – the mayor's gonna send me money for a bed and stuff but I can't stay there until it's all cleaned out, you know?"

"So then let's all get to bed and worry about it in the morning," said Rachel, patting both men on the head. "If Daddy hasn't already I'll get you a room ready – you travelled all morning, so you're probably tired, right?" Dylan nodded, seemingly noticing the tired spell hitting him as she spoke.

Dylan sighed. "Quite. It was a brutal ride – those carriages can be bumpy, especially when a wheels' ready to fall off." Then he grinned mischievously. Dario raised an eyebrow as the cousin looked between the two of them, smirking widely. "Oh, I see, you and Dario are 'going to bed', I see what's going on – OW!"

Rachel turned her nose up at her cousin, pushing her face into his as she planted her hands at her hips. Dylan swallowed as Rachel straightened herself and started heading for the stairs. "Listen, DOC, we don't sleep in the same room right now and even if we were, don't go bugging into our sex life – you got that? Stay out of it!"

Dylan sighed, turning to Dario with a grin. "She's nuts. Good luck with that."

* * *

Author's Note

I didn't think I'd be throwing out the canon characters so quickly at this phase when I first decided to add in more people.

We're going to head back to Norris again, and then we should see Karsh come back into the picture. Cool? Cool.

Dixxy


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Thick as Thieves

By Dixxy Mouri

Chapter Nineteen: Twin Sparkles of Hope

It wasn't until the day they got back to Ridgefield's manor that Norris was allowed to see the girls again. They were brought into his workshop, now much better dressed than what that Mystic slave trader had kept them, and even looked a little healthier. _Well, I guess that's one thing that's gone better for them – even if Ridgefield thinks he owns them, it looks like he might be treating them better here._

With them, the girls had brought his lunch and a number of things to add to his "to repair" list. Norris thanked them and invited them to sit down. The sisters looked at each other for a few seconds, then turned back to him and nodded, taking seats from various workstations. Norris sat down in his favorite chair, crossing his legs and putting his lunch in his lap.

"I wanted to apologize for my role in your purchase last week," Norris said, looking between the girls apologetically. They kept their hands neatly in their laps, matching frowns on their identical faces. "There was nothing else I could do for you – there wasn't any way I could-."

"You did the best thing you could have done, given the circumstances. Tia and I talked it over – we're pretty sure that the next possible buyer would have had us separated anyways," said the pigtailed sister, shaking her head. "You kept us together. It's true that we're still in this awful situation, but if we had been separated we may have never seen each other again."

"Orlha and I have never been apart – at least, not for a long time," said her sister. She gripped the skirt of his dress, biting her bottom lip. "We're a little bit grateful, especially since that awful Ridgefield is going to make you do something later because of it. You didn't have to do that for us."

The other sister gasped. "Unless you expect us to repay you!"

Her sister moaned. "Oh no!"

Norris held up his hands. "No, no, no! Ridgefield only wants you girls to help me do what I'm here to do and fetch meals and the like – I'm not allowed outside of these rooms for the most part, and the less time I spend running around getting food, the better in his mind. And I'm not going to make you do any more than that – I don't even want to make you do anything in the first place. I don't WANT slaves."

"So then what made you decide to help us?" asked the pigtailed twin.

"Actually, didn't he say he was a slave, too?" asked her sister.

Norris nodded. "For a whole year – well, maybe four, kind of – it's a long story. See, when I fled Porre, I ended up on a ship bound for Medina. My friends and I were sold into the trade and we escaped a year later, then we ended up being enslaved by a master of a different kind. And now I'm here, and it's basically even more slavery." He sighed. "It's been around five years since I betrayed Porre and I've spent more than four of them working against my will for one master or another."

"So you sympathize with us."

"Yes . . . Orlha, right?"

Orlha nodded. "Yes. And this is my sister, Tia."

Norris nodded. "Glad we have that established."

"And you're Normund," said Tia.

"Close – my name is Norris."

Orlha sighed. "The world's youngest traitor. What a claim to fame."

"As I said in Medina, I stand by my decision."

Tia cocked her head to the side. "What exactly did you do to deserve that?"

Norris sighed and told the twins his story, leaving out the exact details of how close he and Karsh had grown over the years they spent together. But he explained why he committed treason at such a young age and what had become of him and his friends from the day they left Porre to the day he left Karsh – Glenn's death, Dario's anger, and the few months of peace he and Karsh had together before everything fell apart.

Orlha and Tia listened to Norris intently, their eyes widening and adding in little comments such as "wow" and "oh my" where they were surprised or shocked or whatever they wanted to call it.

"The Deva's children . . . so that's what happened!" said Orlha, her eyes wide. She leaned forward, her hands on her knees. "Tia and I are also from El Nido. We were young when it happened but we remember hearing the adults talk about it."

"What!?" asked Norris, skidding his chair backwards in surprise. "How?!"

Tia sighed, hanging her head. "It was before the gates closed, but after rumors had started that General Viper was considering doing something 'drastic' to protect El Nido, and there was news that the Dragoons found a Porre spy," she said. "Our father was worried about his mother being by herself on the Mainland, so he took us to Patika to try and convince her to go back to Guldove with us."

"But by the time we got to Patika, she had passed away from natural causes and we received word that the port had closed – he couldn't exactly give warning for it, and he can't let anyone out or in – you know, so that if any other spies did manage to get inside the islands they couldn't leave to report back to Porre."

"And it was fine for a while – it was sad that Grandma was gone, but at least we were together as a family," said Tia. She sniffled. "But then a gang of bandits came to town and our parents were killed during the raid, and we were alone. About a month ago that Mystic man found us and kidnapped us to Medina."

Norris closed his eyes, crossing his arms and his legs. "So that's what happened. Viper really didn't have much of a choice, did he?" he said. He sighed. "If they were sending the Black Wind into El Nido, then they meant serious business. He had to do something like that to protect his country."

"Doesn't make it suck any less for people like us who got locked out," said Orlha, turning her nose up. "We're slaves, the Deva kids didn't exactly land on their feet and who knows who else got stuck out here?" She bit her bottom lip. "I just want to go home." Tia got up from her seat, walked over, and hugged her sister. They both started to sob.

Norris got up from his seat and put his arms around the girls. "It's okay. I'll protect you the best I can," he said softly. They looked up at him with teary eyes, pulling the only person in the whole world who wanted to help them into their embrace.

For the first time in a long time, Norris felt warm.

* * *

The new routine with the twins settled in a couple of days. They took turns helping Norris, although Orlha said that Ridgefield was working on modifying one of the floors in the manor to be a much larger suite of rooms, including rooms for Norris, the girls and full functioning kitchen.

"Why a kitchen?" asked Norris. It was about a month after the twins arrived at the manor, and today was Orlha's turn to work. The two of them were working on a lightweight machine gun to be affixed to the end of a boat – Orlha was holding the gun steady so Norris could weld it to a plate that would later be attached to the boat in question. Norris guessed the thing wasn't for catching large fish, but he didn't dare disobey Ridgefield – his "special favor" scared him too much. "So we can make snacks?"

"No, they want to keep us here for longer periods of time – it's so Tia and I can make meals. Ridgefield is going to arrange for food deliveries every so often – things like milk and meat will be coming more often, and grains will come less often," she said. "Ridgefield thinks it will increase productivity."

"Off the record? Ridgefield can kiss my ass."

"Off the record? Ridgefield can take a long walk off a short dock."

Norris grinned, flipping up his face shield. "Ridgefield can drink sodium water."

Orlha scratched her head. "Salt water?"  
He shook his head. "No, sodium – you're thinking of sodium chloride, the kind of salt you find in the sea or on kitchen tables – it's made of two other things, sodium and chlorine. Chlorine is a poisonous gas, and sodium ignites when exposed to water," said Norris.

"So it's fiery water?"

"Yeah, basically," said Norris. "Ridgefield asked me to come up with a way to light water trails on fire without oil, so I'm trying to work on a rig that will drop pure sodium into the water and make a big enough reaction that'll give him the effect he wants."

Orlha stared at him blankly. "How do you know all this stuff?"

Norris shrugged. "I used to read a lot of science textbooks in school, and when I was sharing the apartment with Karsh I read a lot of other books in my spare time." He laughed. "Karsh used to tease me about it – he tried calling me his little bookworm once, so I made him sleep on the couch."

She gently laid the contraption they had just built down. "But why would you kick him out of his own bed?" she asked. "I mean that's something my mom used to threaten my dad with – she never actually did it, mind you – but that only worked because they were sleeping in the . . . same . . . bed . . . YOU WERE SLEEPING WITH HIM!?"

Norris' eyes widened as his erroneous statement flew through his head. _SHIT!_

Orlha worked her way around to stare at him in the eyes. "BY THE BLUE DRAGON! You WERE sleeping with him!" she said. She put her hands over her mouth and stared at him in horror. "I don't believe this! You were LOVERS!? You were SLEEPING with him!" She continued to babble on as Norris watched in a panic.

"I didn't mean to say that!"

"HE CALLED YOU 'HIS LITTLE BOOKWORM'!?"

"I'm sorry – it's not like we planned that – it was just – I'm sorry!"

The twin softened, looking at him in surprise and worry. "What are you sorry for?!" she asked. Orlha embraced him, resting her head against his. "I knew you and Karsh were close but . . . that's just awful! He was your lover, you must miss him so much! Oh Norris, hon, what am I saying? You poor thing . . . you must be so lonely . . ."

Needless to say, this was not the reaction Norris was expecting. Considering the last time he and Karsh had been forced out of the closet resulted in Glenn dying and Dario hating them, telling people about it wasn't one of his favorite things to do or even talk about. But here, an innocent slip of the tongue resulted in . . . pity?

Norris returned her embrace. "Yeah. I do miss him. Every day."

"Why didn't he go with you?" she asked.

"I left him a Dear John letter – I didn't want him to have to deal with the trouble."

Orlha stayed quiet. "You were protecting him."

"Yeah. I was. But I still wish he was with me. Not here but . . . with me."

"You still love him," Orlha said.

"It hurts," he said. "I can't . . . I've tried to not think about him but at night I dream about him." He clung to her tighter. "I dream about the two of us together and then I wake up and it hurts every time." He clenched his eyes shut. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm sharing all this with you, but I can't talk about this with Ridgefield."

"It's fine," said Orlha. "You saved us; the least we can do is listen."

* * *

"He's GAY!?" Tia asked, her hands over her mouth. The twins were in their current room (a small, barely big enough for two twin beds – no pun intended – and a dresser with a few changes of clothing for each other) that evening after bed time. Tia fell back onto her bed. "So that means Norris like to-"

Orlha frowned. "It's not that funny!" she hissed. Tia tried to calm down, but Orlha could scarcely see she was still wearing a playful grin on her face. "He had a boyfriend – Karsh, Master Smith Zappa's son. That's why they failed to bring anything home the day Grandmaster Garai's son Glenn was murdered – Karsh kissed Norris and a gang saw that and beat them up. Dario stepped in to help, but he didn't do much to save anybody. Norris got badly hurt in the fight and they were running out of time, so they brought him back to Red Beard to get him help, and then Red Beard killed Glenn. That's why Dario hates them now."

Tia frowned. "Now I feel bad."

"Worse, this wasn't just some kind of little fling – Norris still loves him, I think."

"Hmm?"

Orlha crawled under the covers of her bed. "He left Karsh after he found out he was a wanted man because he didn't want Karsh to get in trouble. Otherwise he would still be with him right now." She sat up and glared at Tia. "And about that 'butt sex' comment? They didn't do it. And it's none of your business!"

"Well how do you know they didn't? Did you ask?"

"I didn't – he got really moody and just started babbling on about how much he missed him and one of the things he said was that they never got a chance to make love," said Orlha. She pulled her knees to her chest. "He got scared off because of that crazy man they met in the Heckran Cave."

Tia frowned. "I knew Norris hated being here but I didn't think he was that miserable," she said. "I miss Mom and Dad and Grandma, but at least I've still got you. Norris lost . . . everyone. His dad is hunting him like some kind of animal, his friends are gone, he was forced to leave the man he loved . . . I feel so bad!"

"We have to do something," said Orlha.

"Like what? Thanks to Ridgefield we're already doing a lot to take care of him – what else is there left to do?" asked Tia. She pouted. "We're slaves here, and everyone but Norris treats us like it, too. I can't WAIT for us to get those private quarters – then we won't have to deal with stupid Ridgefield anymore."

"Shh! He might hear you!" Orlha hissed. She laid back down in her bed. "And what I mean by help him is . . . well . . . I don't know. Norris still loves him. I think it hurts him that he can't be with his lover. A lot." She felt a pit in her stomach. "Maybe that's why he did what he did. He's hurting because he was taken away from his most precious person, and even though we're slaves . . . we're still together. Norris is miserable here, too, but he's here alone."

"But . . . what can we do?" Tia said. "We're here, he's out there somewhere."

Orlha sighed. "I wish there was something we could do . . ."

* * *

Author's Notes

I was going to add another scene to lead into what Ridgefield's "favor" will be (and this "favor" is fairly set in stone), so next we'll be going to. . . well . . . you'll see ;)

Also, for those of you wondering what Glenn's doing, I promise you he's okay for now – I'm just really not sure what he would be doing of interest right now. He's helping Lucca take care of kids. He's in a very safe, low-conflict environment.

Right now, this story is about the problems facing Dario, Karsh, and Norris and how they cope with them – basically, they're more interesting to write about right now because they're the ones who have the more immediate problems to deal with – Dario's marriage and fatherhood, Karsh's quest for Norris, and Norris' problems . . . well, you'll see.

Dixxy


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